Seeking help for addiction can be a difficult task, especially if assistance isn't local. That's why former California native Jason Ashley is bringing the service to his hometown.
"I'm starting a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Ministries and through that organization we want to do some community outreach," Ashley said. "The first thing we're going to establish is a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) group."
Ashley said as recovering addict himself, he wants to offer services to others. He said NA's first meeting will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Moniteau County Library.
"We're not supposed to advertise NA on the radio, press or anything like that. But Common Ground Ministries is what's actually hosting this meeting and the library has actually been gracious enough to let us use their facility."
He said the idea for Common Ground Ministries began when he was in a treatment program for the Missouri Department of Corrections.
"...there's a mantra that they have you say, at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day, and part of it always stuck out to me," Ashley said. "'Where can we find refuge from this? Where we're not the giant of our dreams or the dwarf for fears, here in this common ground,' and that part always stuck out to me."
This idea evolved from his initial dream to create a Christian newsletter for inmates to a dream where people can share their own testimonies of addiction.
"Along the way, it's been put on my heart to get back into ministry and going to further my education," Ashley said.
A member of Destiny Pointe Church in Columbia, Ashely said he plans to pursue higher education through a discipleship program the church offers. He said his plan is to ultimately open a sober living house and offer a treatment program of his own. Until then however, Ashley is content establishing NA meetings in his old hometown.
"This NA group - I just feel like it's something I could give back to the community that I did so much damage to (as an addict). Everybody says drugs are a victimless crime and that's not so," Ashley said. "The negative effects have consequences, repercussions - and I've dealt with them on a day to day basis. I beat myself up spiritually and mentally and physically for years over my addiction and there was no help in this area."
Ashley said he understands the need for crime to be punished and added if the law is broken then the perpetrator needs to go to jail; however, he said that also doesn't fix the problem of drug addiction itself.
Ashley plans to start this work with the help of friend Austin Huggens and correctional officer Chastity Liebi. Like Ashley, Huggens is recovering addict looking to make sure others have the assistance they need.
"We're trying to get a program started to help other people who are struggling," Huggens said. "I know what it's like to be out there and see that dark side of the world and feel helpless. So we're trying to help people that need the help."
Meetings will focus on the 12-step program of NA as they promote personal recovery between attendees.
"A lot of times I found in my drug addiction...If I had someone to talk to I would have been fine, or if I had someone to listen," Ashley said. "And that's the hard part is asking for help."
Ashley said it's been long enough in California without NA and that it's time to do something for the need in the community.
"I suffered a long time and this will always be my home at heart, but I can't be sober here unless I'm working on the program and have a better foundation under my feet. And right now I feel really good but 10 minutes from now might not. And if I got someone through this program to help....just talking to someone it helps."
Ashley said after the first of 2023, Common Ground Ministries will be licensed and legal throughout the state.
Although he said his motivations for creating this group are "selfish," as it would help him with his own recovery, he still carries a lot of concern for others who are struggling with addition.
"Like I said, I'm being selfish. I'm doing this all for me, but it gets another addict to share and to experience strength and hope and that's what it's about. Helping each other stay clean," Ashley said.
Liebi added a program like this could help inmates as they transition out of prison. She said after many inmates leave prison they often find themselves right back in due to a lack of support from friends, family or community. If they had a program they could go to offer them support it would be very beneficial keeping them out of confinement as well.
"A newcomer to the NA process and program - that new person is the most important person at the meeting and you're supposed to show love," Ashley said. "The only requirement for membership is the desire not to use."