Ryan and April York, physical therapist and a middle-school teacher.
In 2015, after a period of deep prayer for purpose, I had my sights set on missionary work, influenced by friends who sought to serve abroad. However, fate had other plans.
One sunny winter day in late 2015, I was parked off the corner of Fairview and Linda Vista Avenue with 10 minutes to spare before my physical therapy appointment. As I often do, I was looking online at real estate. That day, an unusual property called a sober living home caught my eye.
At that time, my experience was minimal, and my understanding of addiction issues was limited to the common misconception that it was simply a matter of self-control.
When we visited the home, it was clean and tidy. I learned that the men who lived there all did chores and had to live by rules. I met the house manager, who seemed to be a “straight shootin’, no-nonsense guy.” I asked him what he would need from me as the owner, and he said, “Nothing at all; I run this house.” Beautiful! It was a tightly run ship with one big happy family that always followed the rules (or so I thought).
So, we purchased our first sober living home.
However, the initial experience was fraught with challenges as I discovered that my no-nonsense manager was problematic. This led to complaints that threatened our operations, including losing our credentialing needed for funding. I had just bought this house, and I was already in danger of losing it.
I decided we had to make a change. I will spare you the gory details, but it was a challenging transition.
We hired our next home manager based on his sincere love and commitment to the guys in the house and their journey to recovery.
Jared was very patient with me, teaching me about recovery and the role a recovery residence plays in that process. Gradually, things started to get better.
However, I was still hoping that the managers could handle the house and was still considering it an investment that wouldn’t take up too much of my time.
In late June of 2017, on a Thursday, I received a call that Jared, our manager, had relapsed the day before. I was deflated.
Since we spent so much time together over the past couple of months, I had gotten quite close to Jared. Although we had very different backgrounds and life experiences, we got along great. We shared the same sense of humor, spent time with him and his lovely girlfriend (who was pregnant with their child-to-be), and worked with him on his financials so he could get back up on his feet.
That same night, I finally got a hold of Jared. He had relapsed Wednesday and lost his job. He said he talked to his employer, who agreed to allow him to return to work. The guys at the home really cared for him and accepted him back in the home. Maybe… well, probably, my naivete made me feel that it was a good conversation and everything would be ok. But that was the last time I ever talked to Jared.
The next day, Friday, he disappeared. He was found a week later. Jared passed away.
Jared’s tragic passing was a wake-up call. It made me confront the harsh realities of addiction, transforming my understanding from abstract statistics to a heart-wrenching reality. I recognized the true cost of addiction—lost lives, shattered families, and unfulfilled potential, igniting a fierce determination to create change.
It was then that the purpose in life that I had so long prayed for became obvious. This experience ignited a passion in me to create a safe and supportive environment for individuals in recovery—a glaring need in Boise.
In 2016, Ryan and April were introduced to Chris Mecham, a man who had experienced
his own struggles with addiction but had successfully achieved long-term recovery.
With his compassion, drive, and love for those on the journey of recovery, Chris quickly became an integral part of Phoenix House. His personal journey and expertise helped mold Phoenix House into a place where residents could experience true community and support. Chris’s leadership has been essential in making Phoenix House a beacon of hope for those in recovery.
At Phoenix House of Idaho, we believe that recovery is not just about sobriety—it’s about creating a new life. Our vision is simple yet powerful:
“To make a positive impact on each individual in recovery we have the honor of serving.”
We are dedicated to supporting every person who walks through our doors, helping them build a life of lasting recovery through community, leadership, and love.
At Phoenix House, we provide sober living homes and recovery homes designed to foster long-term recovery through a supportive recovery community. Our unique approach includes:
Peer Leadership: We develop recovery community leaders with our Peer Leadership Team
Family Reunification: We offer parent-child recovery housing, allowing families to heal together.
The Social Model of Recovery: We develop a recovery community within each home based on scientific research
We understand that recovery is a journey, and we are here to walk alongside you every
step of the way.
