Social solutions/Putnam house

Hello there again my fellow posters and potential new neighbors! I had posted some time ago to garner the level of support that may be available for the establishment of a Putman House. Currently, there is no after care or support outside of 12-step meetings for people who chronically relapse with addiction to alcohol. I had thrown out the idea of having a Putnam type house, one in which all individuals are in recovery and have easy access to the free social supports that are available in Christiansted and well as clinical intervention if warranted.

When I posted that, some people suggested that there might be some support for that, as many of the issues raised in this forum might be addressed through this type of living arrangement. At the time, my goal was to have this in place by the fall of 2006, not as a job, but as a concerned citizen. I ache when I see people who are homeless and have a complete loss of hope, of have gone through one more rehab just to be released with a lot of time and no support to use that time to re-integrate into the community and find a viable way to live......without alcohol or drugs. I had also suggested that a week or two of minimal treatment was just not going to eradicate this problem.

I now have the opportunity to put my money where my mouth is to get this off of the ground, but am concerned, as I am disabled, about being able to make it fly without other support from the community. This situation would only be able to support three people at a time, but that is three people who may find hope again and a place of dignity in their lives.

Before I make the leap, which I have to choose to do soon or I will loose the opportunity, I want to see if anyone might know of any backing or support that I might be able to get for this venture. Most people post about these matters prior to moving to the island, however my health was so poor at that time that it was just not a possibility.

I am willing to put nearly everything I have into this as I truly believe that it is needed, but once done, I will have little left over except the ability to provide some clinical guidance to the residents.

If there is anyone who has any ideas regarding the fortifying of such a move, please do post as I need to make the decision this week. An opportunity arose, I have enough for the start up and some of the continuation needs, but also need other community entities to assist to make this a strong and viable option for those in this desperate situation.

I will check in every couple of hours to see what suggestions, opinions, etc. might be provided by 'the group', will see how that fits into a written long-term plan to make this part of the social fabric of the island of St. Croix, and will respond to anyone who has a suggestion.

I know this is short notice to cry for help, but these kinds of opportunities do not give a person advance warning that they are going to present themselves, and if missed, they may not come up again for quite some time.

I hope this all makes sense, and would be happy to lay out the plan to anyone who asks for more details. To do so, I would just need an email address as it would be too much information for a post.

Thank you all for your interest in the health of our community, to make the community at least in a small way more progressive, and eventually to return our own people from a state of absolute desperation to a place of hope.

Warmest regards to all, and sorry for the intensity of this post. I assure you that I myself am feeling every bit of the intensity at every moment.

Dan