FACTORYVILLE, Pa. — Down a long and winding road, surrounded by the Endless Mountains, you'll find Pond Grove Farm.
It's a sober-living house for men in recovery, started by a woman who knows the benefits of one firsthand.
When Jamie McAndrew began her own recovery journey four years ago, having somewhere to go, similar to Pond Grove Farm, was crucial for her.
"Just knowing I had a place to lay my head at night, where I felt safe, and I was surrounded by other people in the same situation as me. It was like a home away from home."
McAndrew says it's especially important to have a place like this in a rural community.
"In big cities, there's tons of places. But addiction, mental illness, that exists in rural communities like Wyoming County, and there are a lot of places and programs for people, but there are no sober houses around here."
Not to mention, the pastoral landscape of Pond Grove Farm offers a peaceful setting for those in recovery, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
"There's 76 acres on this farm. People can have bonfires; there's a pond in the back where the guys can go fishing, they can play softball," said McAndrew.
McAndrew says the response from the community so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
"So many people saying 'congratulations,' 'we really need this,' and I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't expecting to have such a positive feedback from it because a lot of people look at addiction as, you know, everybody wants to keep it a secret, but that's not helping anybody."
She's in touch with several area recovery centers that are happy to have another place to refer their clients.
If you'd like more information, you can contact McAndrew at jamieleam12@gmail.com