Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
Bringing together local businesses and neighbor of the Tri-Cities region. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Skip Mauney helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around The Tri-Cities.
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Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
EP# 167: Healing Footprints: Navigating Sober Living with Mitchell Cobb
What makes Mitchell Cobb with Footprints Recovery a good neighbor?
Delve into the inspiring story of Footprints Recovery with Mitchell Cobb, who sheds light on the essentials of sober living and the ethical responsibilities that come with it. The program, based in Asheville, North Carolina, supports individuals recovering from addiction by offering housing and licensed peer support. Learn about the common myths surrounding sober living and how Footprints is dismantling these misconceptions one story at a time.
During this engaging episode, Mitchell discusses his personal journey to sobriety and how his family's commitment drives the mission of Footprints. He shares the challenges faced by individuals with criminal records in finding housing, emphasizing the organization's plans to introduce long-term efficient housing that meets these unique needs. This innovative approach aims to alleviate the pressure of reintegrating back into society.
With a warm and compassionate tone, we explore the value of community in recovery and how Footprints empowers individuals. From recreational activities like golf to dealing with the stigma of sober living, Mitchell provides an authentic perspective on the recovery process. Join us for this enlightening conversation that not only educates but also inspires hope and resilience for anyone seeking to understand or participate in recovery. Don't forget to check out Footprints Recovery for more resources on how to start your journey to a better tomorrow. Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help spread awareness!
To learn more about Footprints Recovery go to:
https://footprintsrecoveryavl.com/
Footprints Recovery
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monning.
Speaker 2:Well, everyone, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of the Tri-Cities. So today we've got a very special guest who does some really special work, and so I'm super excited to learn all about them and their organization. I'm sure you will be too, because today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, mr Mitchell Cobb of Footprints Recovery. Hey, how are you? Welcome? Doing fine. How are you? I'm doing good, all right. Well, like I said, I'm super excited to have you on the show, mitchell, and to learn all about Footprints Recovery. So, if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your organization?
Speaker 3:So we are a sober living program in Asheville, north Carolina. We house, including our staff and stuff. We house about 65 people and that's between different houses all of the County. Um, we um have nine licensed peer supports um, including myself, and then we house about 55 guys that are active clients there. Uh, we work a lot with the city.
Speaker 3:We work a lot with the state. We work a lot with, like prisons, jails and stuff like that. I'd say we are more criminal reformant than you know work than is mostly what we do and we really enjoy, you know, that type of clientele and people and we've had really good success with them. Wow, now, how did you get into this business, mitchell? The one that I came to was $5,000 a month, and then I stepped down to a lower income program and I met a guy and he wanted to start one himself. Unfortunately, he relapsed right when we opened and so, gosh, I had like maybe nine months clean left with this over-living home, nine months clean left with the cyber living home, and that was back in 18, I think, 2018. And then me and my father started buying some homes and, you know, really started doing it. But, yeah, it's been a. It's been an interesting, long journey.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow so family affair, your dad, your dad's, involved as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my, my parents are definitely involved. My mom does all the bookkeeping and counting and invoices and stuff, and then my dad and I do stuff with the properties and, you know, constantly look for more, try to build I think we're actually about to build another house and then eventually go into like long term apartments, similar to how we do things. Long-term apartments similar to how we do things, um, but for really anybody that needs low income apartments, you know, so they could pay weekly, bi-weekly, however they'd like. So if they can't afford a regular apartment or they have a criminal record, you know a lot of people can't afford $3,000 upfront. So we're going to tailor it similar to how we do our, our sober living and, you know, pay two weeks upfront, up front and um, and hopefully some programs will get along with that as well. Some of the grant programs that we work with um and actually help with guys getting into long care housing as well very good now, this is long-term housing yeah, that's our, that's our next project we're looking at Cause we have a.
Speaker 3:We have a hard time finding, you know, like we get guys with felonies coming in and what's their next step and unfortunately a lot of places don't rent to felons, you know, and so we've had a hard time getting people to the next step after they've been with us two or three years, you know, and so hopefully we can get some housing for people let, and so hopefully we can get some housing for people you know it's their home, you know and not sober living.
Speaker 3:Gotcha. Well, what are some myths or misconceptions in the sober living industry? Myths or myths, let's see. Well, you know, the main reason why I started was because back in the day, you know, low-income programs weren't doing things very ethically, you know, and, um, you know that is a known thing in the community, unfortunately, and all over um, but now they've really gotten a lot better, you know, and I think a lot of places are going toward licensing. So, like we have all licensed peer supports, uh, to make things you know, more, uh, standards, I guess. Um, you know NCAR's been really good and they're doing like state certifications. So if you go through their program then you get it's more of a structured program and what should be and what shouldn't be. But, miss, I really I'm not sure. I'm sure there's a bunch.
Speaker 2:I'm sure there's some misconceptions out there too with what it's like to actually live in a sober living.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we get a lot of some neighborhoods don't like us and people could treat people really badly that are trying to get help, and so that's always a barrier as well.
Speaker 2:Right, I'm sure it's a safe space. Yeah, oh yeah, cool, very cool. Right it was, I'm sure it's a safe space. Yeah, oh yeah, cool, very cool. Well, uh, is there any significance to the name footprints? Is that time?
Speaker 3:oh, so we got it from the bible, verse the, the footprints, um, and we, okay, yeah, we liked it and we thought it was, um, you know, appropriate for what we were doing and what guys were going through. So that name stuck and you know, we hadn't really thought about it anymore than that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Very good, very good. Well, outside of working with your sober living facility, what do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:I play a lot of golf. I'm a big golfer, you know. It's something me and my dad can do with. Being sober, going on vacation and stuff isn't normal sometimes, especially if I go to the beach when everybody's wanting to party and drink and stuff. Golf gives me and my dad a good thing to do when we do travel. I've grown up playing golf. Um and um, yeah, I am, I am. I got down to a scratch handicap this year so I was doing all right, um, and then I'm a big collector. Uh, I love to collect stuff cause it's similar to a chase of addiction, I guess. And uh, it's healthy, you know. So I like to keep myself busy so I can always hunt and look for stuff that I'm looking for and uh, so I'm a big collector of, uh, of certain objects, so I find that fun.
Speaker 3:me and my dad do that some too well, cool anything particular like coins or uh, so I'm a big watch and car guy, um, and then recently I've got into guitars, um, and so I'm actually learning right now and taking some lessons and, uh, I've really been enjoying that too I got a big a big pick.
Speaker 2:You probably can't see it yeah, I see it. Yeah, I've got about 12 or 13 guitars, but I've played since I was six years old, so yeah, that was my golf. I guess. Well, let's switch gears for a second. Mitchell, if you could describe a hardship or a life challenge that you've gone through and overcame and you were stronger and better off coming out the other side, anything come to mind.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, I said I'm eight years clean and yeah, thank you, I actually just celebrated like two days ago, so no-transcript.
Speaker 2:Awesome Well it sounds like you're a scratch golfer and eight years clean man Congratulations. Yeah, that's awesome. So if any of our listeners are in need and could use your services, how could they learn more?
Speaker 3:So we have a website it's FootprintsRecoveryAVLcom, and on there they can get resources in the community as a whole as well as you know our information on there, and then they can always call me my number's on there and no matter kind of what stage they're at. Uh, we do have resources, private or state. Um, you know we're a big state supporter so, um, you know different. There's different stuff out there for different people that qualify um, and that's why I say we're mostly state, because we work a lot with the state. A lot of grants and stuff have been awesome in town for anybody in need. It's been wonderful.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome, very good, very good. Well, mitchell, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out to talk with us and appreciate what you and your dad are doing with Footprints Recovery, and it's a definite need everywhere, not just in your community, but everywhere. So thank you so much for doing that and we wish you and your family and Footprints Recovery all the best moving forward. All right, thank you. All right, man, hopefully we can. Maybe we can have you back one day when you've got something new to talk about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure sounds good, all right thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnp try-citiescom. That's gnp try-citiescom, or call 423-719-5873.