Zack Trabbold and Robert Massa were both addicted to heroin, they both sought treatment, but they didn't reach their turning points until they went to a halfway house.
“There were 10 other guys on the same mission as I was to change our lives and to fight back against what we were fighting against,” said Trabbold, president of The Turning Point Project Inc.
At the halfway house he formed a camaraderie with others also struggling with addiction.
“I used alcohol and drugs for my 15 of 29 years and I did not know how to live as a sober person; how to deal with problems, how to hold a job, and all those things are kind of shown to you through the halfway house experience,” said Robert Massa, vice-president of The Turning Point Project Inc.
It worked for them and they want others to be able to follow the same path to recovery. However, halfway houses while cheaper than treatment centers, still cost money. Massa estimated some locally are anywhere between $700 and $1,000.
“It's just sometimes getting that initial payment down because you're just coming out of treatment, you probably lost your job, and you probably don't have any money and just being to get your foot in the door I feel like is the opportunity we're providing to people,” Massa said.
Together they launched The Turning Point Project in February and in just three months they've already managed to help two people fund their entry.
“It's really important for people to know that there is help out there, you know I didn't know there was help in the beginning and there's definitely help out there for people who are addicted,” Trabbold said.
Trabbold and Massa are also collaborating with the Harford County Sheriff's Office and health department to spread the word about their organization. It's become another resource in Harford County's battle against heroin abuse.
“I don't feel like the supply is something you can stop, I feel like it's on the communities at large to stop the demand, to get treatment for those who are addicted, to educate the younger kids, and prevention programs. And it's all three of those together that are going to get the job done,” said Massa.
The Turning Point Project was recently recognized as a tax-exempt charity organization. For more information or to donate through their GoFundMe page, click here.
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