Harmony Life Center offers paths to recovery from addiction
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Michele Durisa of Uniontown enjoys a cup of coffee before attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at Harmony Life Center. Durisa is approaching 60 days of being drug- free. She became addicted to prescription pills about five years ago and gradually began to use other drugs.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Harmony Life Center in Washington provides addiction and recovery services.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Harmony Life Center has provided addiction and recovery services since 2017.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Jesse Lloyd, who has been in recovery for four years, volunteers at Harmony Life Center, where he also handles information technology.
Karen Mansfield/ Observer-Reporter
Harmony Life Center is staffed with volunteers whose lives have been impacted by addiction and peer coaches who provide services for those in the addiction and recovery community. From left are MJ Markley, vice president of the board of directors; Jesse Lloyd; Teresa Woods; Phil Agostinelli, and Karen Bennett, president of the board of directors.
More than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in 2021, more than any other year on record, the National Center for Health Statistics announced on Wednesday.
“I don’t know how to make sense of it, other than right now the ability to get drugs is out of control. And today, everything is cut with fentanyl,” said Karen Bennett, president of the board of directors of Harmony Life Center, a drop-in recovery center where those who are addicted and their loved ones can receive support and guidance. “COVID has had an impact, too. It’s just tough. We see a lot of people coming into treatment and they go back out.”
Harmony Life Center, located at 47 N. Main St., will mark its fifth anniversary in September. It serves the city and surrounding areas.
Mike “MJ” Markley, vice president of the board, said Harmony Life Center’s volunteers all have been impacted by addiction – they’ve lost loved ones and friends, or are in recovery themselves. The center’s commitment to the addiction and recovery community, he said, is unwavering.
“Harmony Life has been here and it is now a staple, I think, for the community,” said Markley. “I think we have proven to people that we are here for them. We’re all volunteers, we all want to be here. This is a place where people can come and get what they need. We meet people where they are and give them more paths to recovering.”
The center, led by volunteers and peer recovery coaches, offers more than 100 hours of recovery meetings a month, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
It also partners with Cornerstone Care Outreach to provide medical services, and agencies including Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and offers legal advocacy and support at the state and local levels, job counseling, and other services.
“We’re a no-judgment zone, and that’s so important because we want people to feel like they can come in here and nobody’s going to judge them no matter what. If they used the night before, we’re here to help,” said Bennett.
The center also provides help for those who have lost loved ones or whose family members or friends are fighting addiction.
Rhonda Phillips DiBello, whose daughter, Melissa Moeller, lost her life to a drug overdose on Feb. 13, 2017, at the age of 27, started a support group for mothers that meets once a month.
“I’ve leaned on (Harmony Life) so heavily since my daughter died,” said DiBello. “They pulled me through her loss for sure. MJ stepped in and was sort of a mentor. I don’t know where I would have turned otherwise. I think they’re very open-minded, and the resources they have are phenomenal. They’ll lead you in the right direction for any kind of addiction or any kind of loss.”
Harmony Life Center’s evidence-based programs are based on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMSHA) eight dimensions of wellness that include emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual wellness.
Jesse Lloyd, a Virginia native who volunteers as Harmony Life’s information technology resource, and has been in recovery for about four years, said he became involved with Harmony Life “almost from the day I hit this town.”
“I basically ended up in Washington for recovery. I came here for meetings and found out they needed someone to handle computer stuff,” said Lloyd, who had been clean for 20 years before relapsing five years ago. “This keeps me around recovery almost every day. I’m interacting with people in recovery. Several times, people have come down the ramp and have been struggling with something, and just by talking with me I help them come to a solution because I’ve been there.”
Phil Agostinelli, a recovery coach who felt called to volunteer at the center after losing two loved ones to drug overdose, finds his volunteer work meaningful and healing.
“We want to help everyone who comes here, but I believe it’s helping me, too. Even though my loved ones are gone, I’m learning. I sit in on NA meetings and I’m learning why, I’m learning what they went through,” said Agostinelli, who distributes wooden crosses he carries with him in a bag. “I firmly believe this place helps people”
The center sits next to Harmony House Cafe, which celebrated its six-year anniversary on May 6.
It also is located steps away from the Washington County Courthouse.
“Our location is important because people in recovery like to have things in close proximity because travel is a barrier,” said Markley. “This place is right in the middle of everything, as far as mental health treatment, recovery houses, and other services.”
The center, which relies on grants and donations for funding, is seeking funding to support and expand its services. It recently received a capacity building grant from Staunton Farms Foundation, Bennett said.
In July, volunteer Teresa Woods will celebrate six years in recovery. She has volunteered at the center since it opened.
“I feel like I give back, and it helps me, too. It helps me focus on my recovery because I can give back and I stay focused, and I’m doing something good,” said Woods, who, among other jobs, helps lead NA meetings. “I like being around recovery people. I like that I might be able to help somebody, and they might be able to help me, too.”