April 29, 2026
6 steps (and resources) for getting the treatment you deserve sooner rather than later.
Waterfront Rescue Mission was founded in 1949 by Reverend Vernon Hozey as a place of refuge and hope for fishermen in Pensacola, Florida, facing addiction and homelessness. In 1972, the Mission launched its Recovery Program to address the root causes of addiction and guide individuals toward lasting transformation. Building on this legacy of compassion and impact, Waterfront expanded its reach along the Gulf Coast by opening its second location in Mobile, Alabama in 1989.
Recovery Readiness, the first of three phases in Waterfront Rescue Mission’s LifeBuilder Recovery Program, addresses opioid issues in Mobile through a holistic, faith-based approach. This phase supports men struggling with addiction, preparing them for the recovery process by providing Christian counseling, health and wellness evaluations, referrals for detox and medical-assisted treatment, on-campus work training and opportunities, and life-skills classes such as time management, responsibility, and sober living. By addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of addiction, they help individuals build a strong foundation for long-term recovery and sustainable life change.
Waterfront Rescue Mission’s LifeBuilder Recovery Program is committed to serving individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders—including opioid addiction—throughout Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
Michael’s Story
Michael (pseudonym) grew up in Mobile, Alabama, spending most of his childhood in foster homes due to his parents’ struggles with alcoholism. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. However, following his discharge, Michael began a decades-long battle with substance use and alcoholism that led to more than 50 arrests and years spent cycling through incarceration and homelessness. What started as heavy drinking eventually progressed to recreational drug use, including smoking, cocaine, and ultimately, fentanyl. Michael had reached rock bottom.
Determined to change the course of his life, he called on the Lord, who Michael says led him to Waterfront Rescue Mission. He enrolled in the LifeBuilder Recovery Program, and fully committed to the process of healing and transformation. In 2024, Michael successfully graduated from the nine-month program. Today, Michael has a stable job with a cable company, his own apartment, and — most importantly — a renewed life free from the chains of addiction. He is living proof that no matter how far someone has fallen, hope and healing are still possible.
Chris’s Story
Chris (pseudonym) was a talented college football player with a promising future, but after the devastating loss of both of his siblings and other family struggles, he sank into a deep depression. Seeking to numb the pain, he turned to drugs and alcohol — a path that ultimately left him homeless for more than a decade. At his lowest point, Chris would use any substance he could get his hands on — including opioids — desperate to escape the hurt he was feeling.
One morning, after a night of binge drinking, Chris woke up outside a funeral home. That moment felt like a powerful sign — a warning that if he didn’t make a change, this might be where his story would end. Chris remembered hearing about Waterfront Rescue Mission and made the decision to seek help.
Through the LifeBuilder Recovery Program, Chris found a safe space to heal, regain stability, and build a new future. Today, he is clean and sober, employed in a stable job, and has restored relationships with his mother and son. Chris now uses his experience to encourage others he meets on the streets, sharing the message that recovery is possible, and that hope can be found at Waterfront.
“Waterfront’s Recovery Readiness Program in Mobile unlocks a door for men who are trapped in addiction and gives them the safety, the support, and the space for them to begin a new life of restoration and healing.” – Jason Grizzard, Vice President of Ministry Services
“Opioid addiction is everywhere. It affects all races and income brackets, and it shows no signs of slowing down. There is no such thing as a “typical” opioid addict – it impacts people from all walks of life.” – Daniel Brown, Recovery Readiness Chaplain
6 steps (and resources) for getting the treatment you deserve sooner rather than later.
Ten Things to Know About Opioids that might save your life, or the life of someone you love.
While it may seem new, incorporating mindfulness and yoga practices into recovery has been on the rise since these ancient practices were brought to the West from India during ‘60s and ‘70s. Even the 12-step, faith-based program Alcoholics Anonymous began including spiritual reflection and contemplative practices in recovery around that time. Cut to the present day, and you’ll find a range of faith- and nondenominational-based addiction treatment and services available to individuals seeking recovery, including those that incorporate holistic care such as yoga and meditation. Additionally, there is compelling evidence to support that mind-body interventions like yoga and meditation can be powerful complements to conventional care for various substance use disorders, including opioid misuse.
According to a clinical trial published in January of this year on the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine’s PubMed site, a treatment center in Bengaluru, India, found that people withdrawing from opioids recovered from acute symptoms nearly twice as fast when traditional medication was paired with structured yoga practice. Participants practicing yoga on top of standard treatment with buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder and pain) stabilized within five days, compared with nine days among those receiving medication alone. The yoga group also reported markedly reduced anxiety, improved sleep quality, and better autonomic regulation (a physiological marker of stress resilience).
The Journal of the American Medical Association notes that opioid use disorder is not simply a matter of physical dependence; rather, it’s a multi-system dysregulation affecting brain reward pathways, stress systems, emotional processing and behavioral habits. Standard care often combines medication-assisted treatment with counseling and support groups, an approach that has saved countless lives. But relapse rates and treatment drop-outs remain high, leaving clinicians searching for additional tools to improve long-term success. This is where yoga and meditation enter, not as alternative treatments that replace evidence-based care, but as complements to reinforce physiological balance and emotional resilience.
Yoga engages breathing, posture and awareness, elements that tap into the autonomic nervous system, which governs stress responses. The Bengaluru trial’s findings that yoga enhanced heart-rate variability (a measure of parasympathetic “rest and digest” activity) suggest that these practices may ease the intensity of withdrawal and emotional agitation. Beyond withdrawal, research suggests that yoga and similar mind-body practices can improve outcomes across substance use disorders.
A systematic review published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that among randomized controlled trials (some involving opioid users) yoga was associated with improvements in anxiety, pain and craving when used alongside traditional therapies.
Meditation practices, whether focused attention, breath awareness or guided imagery, are increasingly studied as tools to rewire reward circuitry disrupted by addiction. These practices bolster emotional regulation and reduce stress sensitivity, which are factors that often trigger relapse long after detoxification ends. Studies show that people receiving group mindfulness sessions (including remote or virtual varieties) alongside medication treatment reported significantly lower opioid craving compared with those receiving only standard care.
For people emerging from the acute phase of opioid withdrawal, long-term recovery hinges not just on avoiding substances but on rebuilding life with purpose, resilience and balance. Yoga and meditation do not replace medication-assisted therapies, counseling or peer support, but evidence increasingly suggests they can enhance those pillars by addressing underlying physiological stress responses and emotional triggers. As research continues to grow, clinics, therapists and recovery communities alike are watching closely: bridging neuroscience with ancient practices may offer a new frontier in healing from one of the most challenging public health crises of our time.
In Mobile County, Alabama, there is a broad range of treatment options, many of which are listed on the Project Persevere website’s Treatment Programs page. Below, find the list of a few that incorporate holistic practices with traditional therapies. Remember, recovery is not one-size-fits-all, and not every center explicitly lists yoga or meditation on its roster of services. Still, many coordinate with community partners or wellness professionals to help clients explore these practices as part of holistic aftercare or ongoing relapse prevention.
Discover how Project Persevere’s initiatives are creating real impact across treatment, prevention, recovery, and community support. Explore our programs below to see how each one contributes to lasting change in the fight against opioid addiction.
Team Wellborn Strategies + CiviConnections develops and executes a multi-platform communications and paid media campaign that reduces stigma, raises awareness of treatment options, and strives to prevent new cases of opioid use disorder. The program includes polling and audience research, creative production, strategic media placement across digital and traditional channels, public relations, grantee coordination, and real-time campaign optimization.
Waterfront Rescue Mission’s Recovery Readiness, the first of three phases in its LifeBuilder Recovery Program, addresses opioid issues in Mobile through a holistic, faith-based approach. By addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of addiction, they help individuals build a strong foundation for long-term recovery and sustainable life change.
Community members can support the Recovery Readiness Program at Waterfront Rescue Mission of Mobile by volunteering their time and expertise. Volunteers are especially needed to mentor program participants and lead life skills classes that promote personal growth and long-term recovery.