When a person is battling something as strong as addiction, it is important they have the support and tools they need to win the fight.

That is where Red Legacy Recovery comes in to assist those trying to make those changes in their lives.

Through the program, participants have access to support services, counseling, peer groups, and training to help them on their road to recovery.

“We are basically an out-patient recovery program,” said Samantha Loveday, who serves as the director of Red Legacy as well as case manager.

The mission of the non-profit organization is to empower women with the skills they need to begin a new life in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The organization works to equip each woman in the program to be self-sufficient, employed, and self-confident.

Many of those who participate in the Red Legacy program come into recovery with a past they must struggle to overcome in addition to battling their addiction issues.

“It’s hard on them when they come out of jail,” Loveday said.

For many in the program, their addiction has led to criminal records or other problems that have created obstacles in their lives when it comes to being self-sufficient and able to provide for themselves.

“We have barriers we have to work around, but we find a solution,” Loveday said.

Some of those barriers are employment and housing. Loveday said in Carter County, those with felony records have difficulty finding affordable housing and even jobs that provide enough financial stability for them to begin a new life.

“They have to have resources in order to stay clean,” Loveday said, adding when someone does not have those resources for independence they are more likely to have a relapse.

Through the Red Legacy program, participants can attend meetings on Tuesday and Thursdays each week at 6 p.m. For the Tuesday meetings, Loveday said the agency brings in specialists from different fields to talk to participants. On Thursdays, Red Legacy staff and volunteers work with program participants on life skills training.

Through the life skills part of the program, Loveday said staff and volunteers work with the participants on things such as obtaining housing, finding employment, and obtaining an education.

“So far we are doing very well,” she said.

Loveday said the agency is preparing to host a guest speaker series as well.

Because helping someone overcome addiction on their road to recovery entails helping them find self-sufficiency on a variety of fronts, Loveday said Red Legacy partners with other local agencies to help their clients find all of the support and resources they need on their journey.

One of Red Legacy’s newest partnerships is with Rivers Edge Fellowship, an Elizabethton church that has launched a homeless shelter to help the community.

Currently, Loveday said Red Legacy is evaluating the needs of program participants and the community as well as the program they offer to ensure that needs are being met, and the best possible services are available.

For more information on Red Legacy Recovery, or to get involved with the program, contact Red Legacy at (423) 297-1230 or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RedLegacyRecovery.