About Us
Pillars of Recovery was created to help remove the financial and practical barriers that can make recovery harder to sustain.
Recovery from substance use is about much more than treatment alone. A person may be doing everything they can to move forward and still be held back by things like unstable housing, lack of transportation, missing identification, work-related expenses, food insecurity, or difficulty accessing community resources.
Pillars of Recovery exists to help bridge those gaps.
We provide charitable assistance and resource connections designed to increase stability, independence, and opportunity for individuals entering, pursuing, or maintaining recovery from substance use.
Our Mission
Pillars of Recovery removes financial and practical barriers for individuals in recovery by providing essential resources, housing assistance, transportation support, employment assistance, and connections to community resources that create stability and opportunity for long-term recovery.
Why We Exist
Recovery can be difficult enough without having to overcome preventable barriers at the same time.
A bus pass can make the difference between missing and making an important appointment. Work boots or identification can help someone start a job. Housing assistance can provide the stability needed to keep moving forward. A phone can help someone stay connected to treatment, employment, family, and support.
These needs may seem small individually, but they can have a major impact on someone’s ability to build a stable life.
Pillars of Recovery was created to help meet those practical needs and connect people with opportunities that support long-term recovery.
Our Approach
We believe assistance should be:
Individualized
Every person’s situation is different. Requests are reviewed based on the individual’s actual need and circumstances.
Practical
We focus on real-world barriers that can interfere with stability, employment, housing, transportation, and access to recovery resources.
Fair
Pillars is an independent nonprofit. Individuals do not need to be connected to a specific treatment center, sober living home, clinic, or organization to request assistance.
Responsible
Assistance is provided based on available funding and program guidelines, with appropriate documentation and financial oversight.
Focused on long-term stability
Our goal is not simply to solve an immediate problem. We look for opportunities to help individuals move toward greater stability and independence.
Our Five Pillars
Housing Stability
Helping individuals access and maintain safe, stable housing.
Employment & Independence
Removing barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.
Transportation
Helping individuals get where they need to go.
Essential Needs
Providing support for basic necessities that promote stability.
Recovery Access
Connecting individuals with treatment, peer support, recovery housing, and community resources.
A Message From the Founder
Pillars of Recovery was created from a simple idea: people working toward a better life should not be stopped by barriers that can be overcome with the right support.
My connection to recovery is personal. I struggled with alcoholism in the past, and getting sober changed the direction of my life. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of how difficult recovery can be and how important the right support can be along the way.
Through my work in the recovery community, I have seen people make incredible progress only to run into challenges such as transportation, housing, employment needs, or access to basic resources.
Sometimes a relatively small amount of help can create an opportunity that changes the direction of someone’s life.
I created Pillars of Recovery to help fill those gaps and build stronger connections between individuals in recovery and the resources available in our communities.
Our goal is to meet people where they are, remove barriers where we can, and help create opportunities for long-term stability and success.
— Ramon Payan
Founder & President