WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The road to redemption isn’t given. It’s earned. 2nd Chance New Beginnings in El Dorado is changing lives.
“It’s amazing being able to watch people come in, and you slowly see the changes,” said Phillip Webb, director of 2nd Chance New Beginnings.
He sees change and opportunity daily.
“When I first got clean, I didn’t have my license, Social Security, absolutely nothing to my name,” Webb said.
It is a story he knows well because he’s lived it.
“2nd Chance allowed me to come into the house with no money, no rent, no anything,” Webb said.
He calls it “his shot” at a new life.
“I knew this was the only chance I was getting, and it came from 2nd Chance, and I better take it, and I did,” Webb added.
Webb got clean, married, then answered the call to help others.
“Faith Builders said we have a house in El Dorado would you be interested in starting a sober living home we said absolutely, so I and my wife came out here,” Webb said.
Now, he and his wife run both the men’s and women’s sober living facilities.
“It’s more than a house; it’s a home, they’re all family, and it’s a relationship paramount in recovery,” Webb said.
They are building relationships beyond their housemates.
“We allow children to stay four nights out of the week where they have consistency, and they see their mom and dad happy,” Webb said.
Bourbon Shartz lives at the men’s sober house.
“I needed to do something that would put my life on the right path,” Shartz said.
He has a job through the organization’s sister company, and he’s working on being a better father. He recently got the chance to spend more time with his daughter.
“Just being able to have her here, and I have her here three-four days a week,” Shartz said. “I have a home for her, and we cook and eat together. We celebrated her 10th birthday.”
Those moments remind Webb of his purpose.
“When other people succeed, I think that is my blessing that I get to witness. It’s unbelievable, and I just can’t put words to it,” Webb said.
The next step for 2nd Chance New Beginnings is building transitional houses for men and women after they finish sober living, so they have a place they can still stay connected.
2nd Chance New Beginnings is a nonprofit, but 2nd Chance Living is a different company and organization offering jobs and other services to people in recovery.
To see more Recovery Week stories by KSN’s Eddie Randle, click here.