TOBYHANNA, Pa. — The owners of We Have a Choice Recovery House for Men in Coolbaugh Township say it's a safe, sober living home for men in Monroe County with substance use disorders.
"Addiction affects everybody from every walk of life, no matter where you come from. So the stigma for that dies here in this house. Everybody is supported here," said Amanda Ramirez, co-owner of the recovery home.
Ramirez and her husband have been clean for the last 12 years, and her brother Justin just passed away from an overdose in June.
She knows all too well how hard it is to find help.
"We knew that there weren't any resources like this in this area," Ramirez said. "This is something that is very close to our heart, and we just really want to provide a safe environment for people recovering."
The Ramirez family has helped more than 100 men since 2016.
Clients can stay for 6 to 12 months, but longer if they need to.
Now they are the first recovery home in the entire state to obtain a Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Recovery Home license.
"It holds us to a higher standard," Ramirez says. "That's number one because we will have regular inspections, and we have to operate in a certain way, and secondly just expansion of services for the men in our house."
Eight men can live in this home, and the hope is that everyone who walks through the door will be able to get back up on his feet.
"They have a lot they have to do between work, going to meetings, going to drug and alcohol treatment. Having a stable home is really important to make that all possible," said Chris Sorrentino, a case manager with Carbon, Monroe, and Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission.
The recovery home will now work with the commission to help assist the men with financial needs.
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