Our Mission REAL LIFE creates pathways to attain and sustain a thriving life for those who desire change.
At REAL LIFE we believe: Consistency, encouraging relationships and accountability are essential In empowering and walking alongside those desiring a life of meaning and purpose Everyone should have the opportunity to thrive In the redemptive power of grace That utilizing a holistic approach to healing—within an inclusive community—fosters transformation.
All delivery of service is done through one of REAL LIFE’s Pillars to Thriving. By integrating the Pillars into all areas of REAL LIFE’s work, we help prepare Lifers to overcome personal and community barriers to thriving. Success in life requires the skills to face daily struggles and unexpected challenges, while staying on the pathway to a Thriving Life! That is the focus of REAL LIFE.
Sustained Sobriety A Thriving Life begins with sustained sobriety. The result is a consistent daily walk with a rational, clear, and controlled state of mind. Without sobriety, the other pillars cannot be truly experienced. Meaningful Employment Obtain and maintain employment that provides a pathway to financial independence for the Lifer and their family. As one applies their skills in a job, the result is restoring personal dignity while serving others. Functioning Family Reunite, rebuild, strengthen or develop a functioning family that provides a safe and nurturing environment. A functioning family can have several forms, but it should always provide an emotionally safe environment that fosters open communication to express any opinion, thought, or feeling.
Community Interaction Interacting with others in a way that leads to mutually beneficial outcomes. This encompasses the recovery term “living life on life’s terms,” behavior modification, and trauma informed care. All lead to appropriate interactions with others and within the community. Practicing a Personal Faith Faith in God provides meaning for life, informs daily decisions that lead to better outcomes in life, and provides inner strength. Faith gives us strength in times of weakness. “Practicing” emphasizes the application of faith, not merely the intellectual understanding. The faith pillar is “optional” for Lifers.
REAL LIFE was founded in 2016 by Dr. Sarah Scarbrough as a response to the growing number of challenges faced by men and women exiting incarceration in Richmond, Virginia. As Program Director in the Richmond City Justice Center (RCJC), or the City Jail, from 2013 to 2017, Dr. Scarbrough and her staff continued to receive multiple calls each week relating to the obstacles faced by returning citizens who were a part of The REAL (Recovery from Everyday Addictive Lifestyles) Program, the nationally and internationally recognized behavior modification program, when they were incarcerated. As a response, we initially began REAL LIFE in the community as a way to continue assisting those exiting the jail program. From there, we grew based upon the need we continued to see by both those from the Richmond jail program, as well as from throughout Virginia. As a result, today, we have 11 recovery houses in Richmond, primarily serving a re-entry population and people from all over Virginia. This is coupled with comprehensive programming, a behavioral modification curriculum written by Dr. Scarbrough, intensive case management, multiple classes throughout the week, and employment and education navigation. On average, people stay with us for about seven and a half months until the complete all requirements to graduate, as well as complete a transition plan.
2023 Annual Report (PDF) 2022 Annual Report (PDF Infographic) 2021 Annual Report (PDF) 2020 Annual Report (PDF) 2019 Annual Report (PNG infographic) 2018 Annual Report (PDF)
Understanding Obstacles While the REAL Program, created by Dr. Scarbrough under former Sheriff C.T. Woody, Jr., highly prepared someone for success upon release from incarceration back into the community, the number of challenges post-release hindered success for many. Obstacles such as lack of cell phones or bus tickets hindered many people’s ability to even apply for a job. Lack of safe and stable housing often resulted in individuals either sleeping on the street or going back to the crack house they previously lived in. While these are just a few of the many obstacles faced, they are severe enough to put someone back into the same situations they found themselves in prior to their incarceration, contributing to starting the cycle of addiction and incarceration, yet again. Breaking the Cycle Operating with volunteers for the first two years, REAL LIFE was only able to assist individuals in need in a small manner, such as through helping with resumes or providing cell phones or bus tickets. And, the help was only available to those who were exiting incarceration from the REAL Program in the Richmond Jail.
Expanding Capacity We realized the need was much bigger than what we had the manpower and infrastructure to manage; this includes the needs of those we were currently helping, as well as those who were homeless, battling substance use disorders, or exiting incarceration from other jails or prisons. We received many calls from individuals in need and probation officers and counselors in various jails and prisons – all asking for our help. We knew REAL LIFE had to do more. As an initial response, we opened a recovery house for men in April 2017. This enabled us to provide much needed housing for those without funds to access housing elsewhere, whether it be independent living or at other recovery houses.
Establishing the REAL LIFE Community Center Through strategic planning and discussion together with the Wheless Family Stewardship Fund and other community partners, we established the REAL Life Community Center (RLCC) in December 2017. This was REAL LIFE’s first opportunity to be able to serve anyone (over 18 years old) who desired change. Our primary objective of the RLCC was to serve individuals with a desire to overcome a substance use disorder, homelessness, or former incarceration. Over the next three years, we continued to operate the Center and serve primarily on an outpatient basis, meaning individuals did not live with us. During this time, we opened two more houses.
Expanding Housing Capacity During the height of COVID, we opened nine more houses in 18 months, expanding capacity from 26 to 131 people. During this time, we closed our original Community Center, but opened another one in the East End Community of the City of Richmond. Exploring the Drivers of Violence In 2020, we began exploring the violence space and really trying to understand the drivers of violence, while also understanding what decreases violence. After vast amounts of research, it was found that Group Violence Intervention (GVI) is the country’s number one program that lowers gun violence. As such, we began applying for grants to implement GVI. We were fortunate enough to receive funding to do just this in 2022.
