DEAR FRIENDS,

Riding on the heels of our 20th anniversary, we entered 2022 encouraged and energized by a yearlong, community-wide outpouring of love and support! Little did we know just how badly we’d need the extra boost in order to sustain us through the year ahead … a year in which we faced COVID variants, alarming increases in homelessness, and yet again, record-breaking demand for our recovery services.

As with every year, 2022 brought along with it joys and sorrows, opportunities and challenges, triumphs and defeats. Through it all, we came out stronger on the other side — in large part because of YOU (our incredible village) and because of our dedicated staff and program participants. Each of you is to be applauded for your efforts. Thank you!

Construction began in earnest at both campuses in 2022, invigorating our spirits as this long-planned expansion finally got underway. Completion at our women’s campus is projected for fall 2023 and at our men’s campus for early 2024. With the ever-rising demand for services, this can’t get done fast enough.

Homelessness in Wake County increased 68% from 912 individuals in 2021 to 1,534 individuals in 2022. Additionally, many providers continued to operate at a reduced capacity due to COVID. As a result, the demand for our services skyrocketed. Recognizing that cold weather, addiction, and overdoses pose major threats to our community, we decided to resume our pre-COVID practice of serving beyond our designed capacity. More than 2,750 individuals sought services in 2022, an increase of 51% from 2021 (1,841). The men’s detox and women’s emergency shelter absorbed much of this demand with a 78% increase in admissions at the men’s campus (increasing from 1,944 in 2021 to 3,454 in 2022), and an average daily census increase of 167% at the women’s campus (from 12 per night in 2021 to 32 per night in 2022, with a high of 52 per night in December).

In addition, Healing Transitions served as an overflow shelter for the most vulnerable in our community during the harsh cold. With the omicron variant spreading, and a lack of providers offering White Flag (cold weather) shelter, St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church stepped in and provided emergency shelter in Wake County and then turned to us to assist with the overflow. Despite 88 cases of COVID in the month of January at our men’s campus, we answered the call and opened our men’s community room to unsheltered homeless individuals in need. In total, we provided 1,354 beds of cold-weather shelter during White Flag season, reducing suffering and preventing loss of life.

I cannot overstate the level of resilience and commitment such unprecedented numbers required of our staff and participants. Again, thank you for rising to the call no matter what.

Thankfully, along with these challenges came blessings as well. To name a few … our overdose prevention training prepared program participants to save the life of a young woman who overdosed in her father’s car as they pulled up to our women’s campus. At the men’s campus, we surpassed our 1,000th Silver Chip graduate (from our long-term recovery program), and we saw a man with 57 prior detox admissions celebrate a year of recovery! Our Rapid Responder program expanded and is providing a full continuum of services including recovery support, harm reduction, transportation, homeless outreach, and jail in-reach. Services for women experiencing homelessness were bolstered through Wake County’s Bridge to Home grant resulting in greater access to a variety of services and permanent housing. We also resumed most pre-COVID practices, including regular alumni visits and active involvement in the larger recovery community. These wins, triumphs, joys, and opportunities
kept us going when the going got tough.

As we wrap up 2022 with this annual report, we look to a future where more people will experience the freedom and power found in recovery. With deep gratitude and appreciation, thank you for your faithful support. And thank you for being a part of our Recovery Village.

One day at a time,

Chris Budnick

Executive Director