St. Croix Mission Outreach will celebrate 15 years of helping addicted, homeless men and women in the Virgin Islands become substance free and self-reliant individuals with a free event open to the public.
The celebration will take place Friday, March 8, in the Government House courtyard on St. Croix. Those who want to attend must call the organization at 340-778-3457.
“We just want people to come and talk with past families,” said Chanie Lang, executive director of the non-profit organization.
There will be appetizers, local drinks and a silent auction to raise funds for programs.
In the last decade and a half, Mission Outreach has grown from a single St. Croix entity to offering various services on St. Thomas and St. John, as well.
Since the beginning, SCMO has referred more than 300 men, women and women with children to residential treatment facilities like the Village – Partners in Recovery on St. Croix, or a faith-based-agency in Atlanta. They also accept walk-in clients who can use the program for as long as two years.
“They didn’t count the days to get sick, so they shouldn’t count the days to get well,” Lang said.
In 2007 and 2008 the Mission Outreach expanded to include substance abuse evaluations, alcohol and drug screening and anger management classes for more than 180 people. The clients are referred by the courts, employers or themselves.
Genesis House, opened in 2009, is a recovery transitional house that has served more than 110 individuals to date. Lang said the program is “holistic” in that participants are helped to get their lives in order – with a job or housing, etc.
The newest program is the DUI risk reduction program, started in 2015. Almost 100 people have used the services and soon the program will be available on St. Thomas. Interested parties can contact Lang for information on the St. Thomas classes. The program is 20 hours a week for five weeks and the cost to the customer is $280, including an evaluation. Mission Outreach lost its funding/sponsorship some time ago, so must charge for the class.
SCMO’s largest target group is the homeless, who often are unable to pay for their care, clothing or food. On the fourth Sunday of the month, the organization provides lunch for 45-70 homeless people at the Shan Hendricks Vegetable Market.
Supporters can make donations at the March 8 fundraiser, donate an auction prize or buy a sponsorship (and be recognized in the program) or volunteer by calling 340-778-3457.
