By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Through the Grace of God Ministries is adding an addiction recovery program to its list of outreaches to the community.

“Chilton County is in great need of it,” coordinator Mary Jo Morgan said.

Morgan said she had been addicted to drugs and alcohol for 15 years.

“I got clean two years ago,” Morgan said. “I feel like God has brought me back here to this ministry, and it has just opened up a door for me to be able to open a recovery meeting for the people who are still currently in active addiction in the area.”

For her recovery, Morgan went to a residential recovery program in Calera and then attended weekly meetings. Later, she became a leader in the weekly program.

She said these weekly meetings were an important part of her recovery and leading her to Jesus Christ.

Broken Vessels Recovery will meet each Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. for a meal with the actual program starting at 6:30 p.m.

“It is going to be a faith-based program with Christ at the center,” Morgan said.

Child care will be provided.

Meetings will be open to those facing any kind of addiction.

Morgan said while there are some addictions that are more obvious, such as drugs and alcohol, “other addictions are a problem in the community as well.”

The ministry developed the program by combining testimony speakers and the standard steps to recovery.

Morgan said she will be bringing in several speakers who have overcome addiction, including “people I went through recovery with and people in the Chilton County area that have gone through recovery.”

She said these stories will give those in addiction encouragement in their recovery journey.

The plan is to have a speaker one week and a lesson on a recovery step the next and continually alternate weeks.

“Each step is backed up with Scripture, and it’s not (just) any higher power, it’s Jesus Christ,” Morgan said.

Through the Grace of God Ministries had a recovery program about eight years ago. Bro. Ralph Bingham said with Morgan joining the ministry it was time for such a program to be offered again.