Oliver Gospel established a 12-week Career and Life Skills Development course within its two yearlong Addiction Recovery program for men recovering from alcohol or substance abuse and chronic homelessness. The course was made possible by a grant from Aflac’s Charitable Fund at Central Carolina Community Foundation.

The ultimate goal of the program is to equip men with resources and education that will allow them to overcome their addiction, manage their earned income responsibly, gain self-confidence and independence to live a healthy life upon graduation.

“Funding for the Life Skills Education classes means that we can see men engaged and transformed together through the power of Christ’s love, which means lives totally turned around,” said Will Huff, interim director of development for Oliver Gospel.

The program equips graduates with the education, resources and support they need to secure a stable job for at least three months, with clean sobriety tests. The residential, year-long, four-phase program helps these men gain an understanding of where they are, how they got there, the appropriate coping mechanisms to stay sober and recognize their triggers and provide tangible skills to achieve goals and break the cycle of their addictions.

Before the men go on to graduate the program, they must secure work for at least 60 days after completion of the career phase of the program and save at least $2,000 and access a safe and healthy living arrangement.

An aftercare coordinator checks in with program graduates after moving out and getting a job to make sure they are sober, financially stable, and working. The nonprofit expects at least three new participants per month into the program and expect at least 50 men to graduate from the program in the next two years.

Oliver Gospel provides emergency services, rehabilitation and transitional programs to women, men and children. In 2021 alone they provided 76,380 meals and 17,419 nights of shelter to those in need.

Oliver Gospel aims to transform lives through the power of Christ’s love by guiding those in need from desperation to transformation. They help those experiencing homelessness, poverty or addiction to transform their lives through physical, spiritual and relational support so that they can lead full, healthy lives. The nonprofit seeks to shape its programs, attitude and culture through five organizational values being faith, people, compassion, stewardship and excellence.“We are passionate about seeing people living in chronic homelessness and crippled by addiction, begin to hope again, and find the support they didn’t have that is so essential to finding sobriety and health,” said Huff. “Thank you, Aflac and Central Carolina Community Foundation, for helping us to do just that.”

Aflac prides itself on being a part of each of the communities its team members call home. Aflac Group’s grant program focuses on supporting organizations with a local perspective. The Aflac grants committee is comprised of a group of community-minded employee volunteers. Central Carolina Community Foundation staff provides administrative support for the Aflac grants committee and the Aflac Charitable fund.

To learn more about Central Carolina Community Foundation’s grant with Aflac visit: https://www.yourfoundation.org/aflac/.