Truly Motivated Transitional Living (TMTL), located in Yelm, has been supporting the South Puget Sound area by providing a safe, constructive community for those struggling with addiction for nearly 15 years. Despite COVID-19, they are continuing strong in their mission to heal the brokenhearted and are looking for your support in their upcoming yearly auction.
Truly Motivated, 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was formed in 2005 out of the significant need in the Yelm and surrounding South Puget Sound area for supportive sober living. For almost 15 years, they have witnessed extraordinary success. Mothers and fathers are reunited with children, and complete family restorations take place consistently. Lack of dignity and self-respect turn into confidence and hope. Fear and devastation turn into courage and peace. Employment is secured, driving privileges are restored, legal matters are resolved and successful transitions to independent living happen regularly.
Over the years, they have developed partnerships with the Washington State Department of Corrections, Behavioral Human Resources, and many other community-minded organizations. Moreover, they have been endorsed by the Tri-County Area Supervisor of Department of Corrections as “the best transitional living facility in the state.”
Every year, they put on an auction to raise money to fund their operating costs and programs. The very first auction was in 2008 with a goal to generate enough money to open up a women’s house to expand their outreach. Since then, they have seen an overwhelming amount of support from the community who stands behind them in their mission to transform the lives of those suffering from addiction by providing opportunities in housing, education and support services.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in place on large gatherings of people, TMTL is shifting their June 7 auction to an online format.
Carmin Long, founder and director of TMTL, says the funds in the past have gone toward operating costs, but this year, they will be able to go toward their “capital campaign.” They are working to purchase House 1 so that they can reroute the money they would be spending on rent into expanding their program and staffing. House 1 is the “hub” of the TMTL community as well as the Yelm and surrounding area for recovery support. It hosts a beautiful, park like setting with a meeting hall hosting six weekly 12 step meeting that are open to the public, a dining room for community dinners, a kid’s play toy, basketball court and the home itself houses 8 men. Right now, they are only $90,000 away from their $350,000 goal needed to make this important purchase.
The week leading up to June 7, people can go online to participate in what would typically be considered a silent auction. And then on June 7, they will be live-streaming from their YouTube channel the live auction for the big-ticket items.
TMTL is run by people who have struggled with addiction themselves. While now clean, they know what it’s like to lose family, jobs, and be inches from death when in the throes of addiction.
When they first started, the dream was just to be able to have a place for people to live together and support each other in their recovery from addiction. Over the last 15 years they have carefully honed their program to provide the most amount of benefit to those they serve. “We have been continually developing our program over the years to suit the needs of those we serve and the last major update to our program came about three years ago when we introduced phases of progress for individuals to transition through on their way toward independent living,” shares Long. “The ultimate goal being that when people leave here, they don’t leave with the same barriers that followed them in.”
“Before TMTL, I was lost,” says one young woman who has been through their program. “I didn’t know who I was. Now, I know that I have a purpose and I have goals. I am learning to love myself again. TMTL has provided me with a safe place, with supportive and loving people. This place saved my life and I know it’s saving others people’s lives, too.
“The Genesis Process [recovery program] has really helped me to get to the root of why I was out their using, and by figuring out the cause of it, I have been able to heal from it. I have a job, I got my license, and I have restored my relationship with my family.”
Soon, she will be going to school to be trained to be a Recovery Coach so that she can help others who have gone through similar struggles.
Long and the other TMTL staff are extremely passionate about what they do and they consider this calling to be of the utmost importance. They know first-hand that there is life after addiction. “When people see folks who are down and out, when people see someone struggling in their addiction, try not to see them as people living in a ditch, but rather as humans who have severe trauma and woundedness that have brought them to that place,” says Long. “They are someone’s child or parent, and people in recovery are some of the most creative, bright, amazing, servant-minded people out there.”
To learn more about their auction and how to participate in this critical event, visit the Truly Motivated Transitional Living website.
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