YEAR END MATCH
For the months of November and December we have a generous match in place and the dollars you give double.
WE’VE GOT A MATCH
Dear Friend of Wagner Hills,
There is something remarkable about the moment a person discovers they are not alone in their struggle. That moment, when despair gives way to the first flicker of hope, is what Wagner Hills exists to create. We have seen it happen again and again, across four decades and thousands of lives. And today, we are writing to invite you to be part of it.
When a person comes to Wagner Hills, they think they are coming to deal with their problem. That’s understandable, they’ve been isolated, lonely in their addiction. It’s often a hell that we don’t think we can get out of, we’ve dug the hole too deep and we are down here alone.
Coming to Wagner Hills brings a major part of the problem-isolation, into community which dispels the notion that it’s “my problem”. It’s our burden, our mission to help with.
A major battle in the journey is won at this point and seeds of hope are planted. Hope continues through the hardest year of work we’ve faced and it leads to healing, growth and very often a transformed life.
Our one-year abstinence-based program weaves together life skills, meaningful work, counselling, nutrition, physical care, and the kind of community that reminds a person they are worth fighting for. We are privately funded and open to anyone who is serious about recovery, regardless of their background or their ability to pay.
This is why we invite partners into the work.
At year end, for the months of November and December we have a generous match in place and the dollars you give double.
For any details on this match or our funding, please feel free to reach out.
Rick’s Story
Addiction has been part of my life for nearly as long as I can remember. To cope with that reality, I told myself I was "dependent" rather than "addicted" — a distinction that allowed me to function, at least on the surface. I had a home, a job and a reputation as a skilled mechanic. I had convinced myself that there wasn’t a problem and I was okay with the choices I was making.
The day after Father's Day, 2024, I found my son deceased from an overdose. I realized that I had to change my life or I would die too. A friend of mine, who had someone close to her successfully complete the program at Wagner, recommended I take a look.
I first set foot on the Wagner Hills property just three days after losing my son – it happened to be a graduation day. Witnessing that celebration – and experiencing the chapel service for the first time – touched something deep in me. In that moment, I felt a genuine desire to surrender to a power greater than myself. That’s when I made the decision that this was what I needed to do. I signed up.
At Wagner, I found community, and with it, a sense of love and acceptance I hadn't known in a long time. With guidance from staff, I began to understand my own values and the skills needed for a sober life – building my recovery toolbox, embracing accountability, and developing habits I had long neglected, like exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Through it all, a daily practice of prayer drew me closer to God. I surrendered myself to Him and was baptized in obedience.
Now that I’ve completed the one-year program, I look to a future filled with hope. Through this journey, I've come to recognize that my experience has value – not just for my own healing, but as something I can offer to others. I've become part of the brotherhood at Wagner, a bond that was a huge contributor to my own recovery, and that now gives me the privilege of walking alongside others.