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ST. PETERS--Recovering addict Jacob Alexander and his family joined friends, supporters, staff and clients of the Key to Freedom Christian Rehabilitation Centre at a fundraising event held at Benny’s in St. Peters recently.

The event was held to raise funds for the rehabilitation centre. Claudette Alexander, Jacob’s sister, was one of the organisers of the fun day, which provided fun for the whole family.

Fundraising Event

The event, which received a donation of drinks from Antillean Liquors and Caribbean Liquors, a bouncy castle from Kidsworld, and flyers and posters from Print Services, also saw many other sponsors contributing to help out the rehabilitation centre.

In the afternoon of November 11, more than 200 people attended to join in the fun, which included a barbecue, a children’s fun area, flea market, tombola, dominoes tournament and an open jam session. The event was held at Benny’s in St. Peters, with the venue having been provided free of charge in support of the centre.

Jam sessions were led by Claudy, a recovered addict himself, who has a talent for music. Claudy understands the difficulty that addicts go through, and is himself a prime example of someone who has turned his life around.

Claudy now organises music lessons for children on a variety of instruments. The lessons are donation-based and take place at Benny’s on L.B. Scott Road in St. Peters every Sunday between 3:00pm and 4:00pm.

Jacob Alexander

The Key to Freedom centre has been a lifeline to many people, including Jacob Alexander. Just five months ago, Alexander was homeless, addicted to hard drugs and fending for himself in the streets, having lost contact with many of his relatives.

They never stopped caring for him. They knew that it was the pain of the past that had left Alexander unable to cope. Alexander had lost two of his three children in an accident, and his surviving child later ended up in jail.

Alexander’s life changed dramatically on June 4, when an unprovoked attack by another homeless man, who had mental health issues, left him severely ill in the hospital. His attacker, despite having been arrested, was never charged.

Alexander, who used to be a basketball player and a talented musician, recovered from his injuries, and was supported by his mother, sister and other relatives. The support gave him the strength he needed to check into the Key to Freedom Christian Rehabilitation Centre.

He is now a changed man. The softly spoken, handsome man, with his neatly cut grey hair, is hardly recognisable as the same person who was brought into the hospital bruised and battered, skinny and dirty, with long dreadlocks.

Residents typically stay in the centre for a period as long as a year, to undergo intensive therapy and counselling. Even after that period of time, it is often difficult not to give in to the temptation that addiction brings, with many addicts making a conscious decision each day not to give in to their addiction.

Alexander is doing much better now, although he will stay at the centre for another seven months. “It’s very difficult,” Alexander says of the process of drug rehabilitation, yet he is strengthened by the support of his family. He is slowly starting to build up his social life, together with his dedicated sister and her partner.

During the fundraiser event, his sister, Claudette, performed a song that she had written and dedicated to her brother, called “Wake Up (my brother).” Claudette was joined onstage by her brother, as well as their mother, Agatha Benjamin, and Pastor Elvison Adamus, the director of the rehabilitation centre. It wasn’t just the people onstage who stood with tears in their eyes as Claudette sang to her brother.

On top of their battle with addiction, people who recover from substance addiction often have to deal with stigmas attached to the condition, and the support shown by families such as Alexander’s is invaluable, as is the help and support offered by centres such as Key to Freedom.

About the Key to Freedom rehabilitation centre

The Key to Freedom rehabilitation centre was established on January 5, 2011, and is located on Marigot Hill Road in St. Peters. The centre provides substance abuse services, involving drugs and alcohol, for adult men. The centre currently has 10 residents undergoing treatment, including Alexander, all of whom were brought to the centre by family members, friends, or came of their own accord.

Pastor Elvison Adamus, the director of the centre and himself a recovered addict, says that all residents are doing well and making significant progress.

“Our focus here at Key to Freedom is on fostering a Christian-based caring environment that helps those under treatment to experience the love of God and to build strong character traits that are fundamental for recovery,” Adamus explains.

The centre bases its treatment as well as spiritual guidance on Christianity, however, where psychiatric or psychological treatment is required, the centre has a good working relationship with the Mental Health Foundation.

Although the centre has a Christian basis, men from all walks of life are welcome, although the centre is full at the moment. Extending the centre to help women and youths are amongst future plans, and the centre is urgently looking for a bigger location to accommodate more people.

The centre also offers drug-, alcohol- and tobacco-testing as an additional service for parents, to discover and prevent drug abuse amongst their children. The centre fully funds the cost of these tests.

Donations

As a non-profit, privately funded organisation, money is often an issue. The organisation, which survives mainly on funds raised during charity events and by churches, has also received donations from St. Maarten Development Funding.

The organisation faces challenges every month in paying expenses such as rent, GEBE bills, food and treatment for its residents. The event organised on November 11 brought in enough money to pay the centre’s rent for a month.

Adamus expressed his gratitude and thanked all sponsors and visitors, as well as the organisers of the event. In a letter to the team that organised the event, he said: “We really appreciate what you have all done for us. We want you to know that without their help, it would be impossible for us to house and help our residents. Words are not enough to express our gratitude, but from the bottom of our hearts, we want to say thank you to all of the team.”

Anyone requiring more information about the centre, or anyone who would like to make a donation, is asked to contact \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or to call tel. 550-9488 or 584-0871.