In Carthage, Texas, a locally founded nonprofit is giving people battling addiction a chance to rebuild their lives beyond sobriety. Be A Light Rehabilitation Services, started by longtime resident Laura Crawford after she overcame her own substance‑abuse struggles, now provides a suite of recovery‑focused programs for individuals and families throughout Panola County.
Recovery services rooted in the community
“Being able to offer that here in the same community that I was in during my active addiction means a lot to me,” Crawford said. The organization’s core services include free recovery meetings held three evenings a week, life‑skills workshops, relapse‑prevention classes and peer‑support groups. Participants learn how to manage emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms and create a stable daily routine once the substances are removed.
House of Hope: a safe haven for women and children
Beyond individual counseling, Be A Light runs the House of Hope, a sober‑living residence dedicated to women and their children. The program offers a secure, drug‑free environment where families can heal together after treatment. “It’s not just the addict that needs healing. The families and loved ones need to be able to heal, too,” Crawford explained.
Building a life worth staying in
Crawford emphasized that the mission extends past maintaining sobriety. “Helping people build a life that they don’t need to escape from anymore,” she said, underscoring the nonprofit’s focus on long‑term stability, employment readiness and community integration. By teaching practical skills such as budgeting, job searching and healthy relationship building, the organization aims to reduce the likelihood of relapse and foster self‑sufficiency.
Community involvement and future plans
Local churches, businesses and volunteers have rallied around Be A Light, providing donations, mentorship and job‑placement assistance. The nonprofit hopes to expand its sober‑living capacity and add a transportation shuttle to help participants attend appointments and job interviews throughout the county.
For anyone interested in attending a free recovery meeting or learning more about the House of Hope, meetings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. at the Be A Light facility in Carthage. Additional information is available on the organization’s website, bealight.org.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
