Non-profit Second Wind Second Chance aims to bring nourishment, hope

One of the community’s newest non-profit organizations, Second Wind Second Chance, is committed to offering meaningful support and assistance to individuals in recovery from addiction.

As a newly established 501(c)(3) organization rooted in Yelm, Second Wind Second Chance aims to provide resources and encouragement for those ready to embrace a second chance at a healthy and fulfilling life.

Three of the organization’s five associated leaders, Ray Iyall, board president, John Jackowich, board member, and Kim Farnes, board member, sat down with the Nisqually Valley News on Thursday, April 2, to share the organization’s mission, story and hopes of creating a meaningful program local to Yelm.

Jackowich told the Nisqually Valley News that he was able to find recovery through a 12-step program. It wasn’t the science behind the program that led him to sobriety. It wasn’t time to think that allowed him to recover. According to Jackowich, the sense of community in his recovery is what allowed him to transition into a sober way of living.

“That community meant everything. It was finding a recovery community that could love me until I could love myself again. That was really important to me,” Jackowich said. “When we got together, the overall mission statement of Second Wind Second Chance is we offer opportunities to nourish and support those in recovery to help maintain their sobriety. If you look around the Yelm area, there’s a couple of recovery areas. There’s TMTL and there’s a facility over by Stewart’s Meats — but they don’t even have a kitchen in their facility to cook. In this community, we see people wandering around and wandering into the woods. Who are these people? How are they getting help? How can we get them help?”

Jackowich added that Second Wind Second Chance is inspired to provide hands-on assistance while recovering. With substances such as fentanyl responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, he believes that addiction is destroying people’s lives much earlier. He pointed to young Americans who have accidentally overdosed before graduating high school or attending college, and before they could even start a family.

“They have a record before they get into this. The traditional trajectory of how to get people that recovery that they need has changed,” Jackowich said. “All of us are asking the question: what do we do? How do we help this? How do we wage love and compassion and help these people? We see it in the streets of Seattle and we see it all over.”

He added that the board members know that 12-step programs can work if they can gain people’s commitment to following it. Additionally, Jackowich believes the landing pad that people in recovery need is now much larger than what was previously needed.

“Some people are getting pushed back out into a system that isn’t ready for them, and they aren’t ready for it,” Jackowich said. “What do we do? We want to create a graduate-level sober living house that’s based around recovery. Also, another thing we have is possibly to be able to find a facility where we can do some sort of organic gardening. We all know sometimes you can’t think your way into a new way of being, but you have to do your way into a new way of thinking. That dirt therapy of just being able to dig and come together — food is love — and if we can create that food in a healthy way would be amazing.”

Iyall added that, long term, it’s Second Wind Second Chance’s goal to develop a recovery house.

“My own standpoint with that is personal. I’ve had family members and friends who have not made it in life. They’ve taken their journey already. Had they possibly had a recovery house to have gone to, they might’ve been here,” Iyall said. “I’ve seen people that I work with not ready to go home. You have to be really strong in your recovery to make it. We believe we’re going to provide more strength for those individuals who do need it. We believe everyone is worthwhile.”

Iyall added that the non-profit tries its best to support everyone, and if one of their members stumbles — they’re always there to help pick them back up.

Additionally, Iyall believes the board of five members is dynamic and that all five members are able to bring a different element to the table. Together, Iyall believes the board is strong and knows they can achieve the mission of providing for those in need, locally.

“Our belief stems to a higher power. Each one of us has a different area of higher power that you’re welcome to choose,” Iyall said. “We pray. We open our meeting with prayer and we close our meeting with prayer. We invite everyone to pray to the power they choose.”

Iyall, a Nisqually Tribe Member, said that AA is his foundation. Additionally, he has spent the last 12 years of his life in sobriety.

“I’m really grateful. I don’t think I’d be here today without AA. It’s my foundation. It’s my goal to pay it forward because I want other people to have the opportunity that I did,” Iyall said. “I was fortunate that I had people that provided me with homes, because I was homeless at one point. We’re going to do our very best to provide someone with a home after they’ve completed their program.”

Iyall believes that Second Wind Second Chance has an incredible opportunity for the local community. He’s looking forward to paying it forward to those in need.

“We’re going to do some good stuff, and we’re excited to be part of it,” Iyall said.

According to Farnes, the five board members at Second Wind Second Chance sport a combined 45-years of sobriety.

“We talked about what would help make people have longevity or success. We talked about different things the shorter term programs can miss, because a lot of people go through them and they’re fantastic,” Farnes said. “We work in partnership with TMTL and other programs. One thing we want to do with short-term graduate housing is provide vocational assistance.”

Farnes said the previously-mentioned garden program would allow for members in recovery to learn about nutrition and gardening skills.

Additionally, she’d like to see a course on budgeting introduced into the program.

“What does it look like to have a budget? How do you budget that first real paycheck? When you have rent, how do you manage that? The people who live in our graduate housing will be able to go through all those programs,” Farnes said. “When they do move out of our program, they’ve got the skills necessary for success. I think that’s really vital.”

She noted the non-profit is looking at different locations in the area, but said it wants to stay central to Yelm.

Next month, Second Wind Second Chance will host its first fundraiser as an organization at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at St. Columban Catholic Church, located at 506 1st St. S, in Yelm. For $20, you can attend its Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event, with a BBQ dinner and dessert included.

“It’s not a serious dinner theater at all. There’s only six characters. There’s audience participation and the food was all donated. Grocery Outlet has donated a large portion of our food. They really do give back,” Farnes said. “People are volunteering to do the roles and they’re people who haven’t had a lot of acting experience. Comedy will ensue because it’s kind of funny.”

You can join the organization’s self-titled Facebook group to find out more information, or to purchase tickets to its inaugural fundraiser.