Governor Christie talks with Eva's Village recovery clients
Paterson, New Jersey (PRWEB) October 04, 2013
On September 18, 2013, Governor Christie visited Eva’s Village in Paterson and chatted with the organization’s present and previous clients about the benefits of alcohol and drug treatment, as well as its Drug Court program. Governor Christie has been an advocate of alcohol and drug treatment and recently signed into law an expansion of the state’s Drug Court program in 2010.
Eva’s Village, which has been providing residential and outpatient drug and alcohol treatment services for more than 27 years has been a Drug Court treatment provider since its inception. During his visit to Eva’s Village, Governor Christie sat down for an informal chat with 16 past and present recovery clients. “I was impressed with the Governor’s commitment to treatment and his understanding of addiction and what it takes to recover from the disease,” stated Michael Santillo, administrative director of clinical services at Eva's Village. “He was very engaged with the clients and cared about what they were going through. He was supportive and encouraging which meant a lot to our clients.”
The Governor joined Eva’s clients to hear their stories and learn about the obstacles those in treatment face such as employment and housing upon re-entry into society. The Governor shared his concern and empathy for a mother and her child, a single father, a grandmother, a man with health problems and many others from the recovery community. “It was a great experience and nice to see that the Governor was so sincere and easy to talk to,” stated Emily, a client of Eva’s Village. “I appreciated that he listened, and that he is interested in making changes.”
Founded by Msgr. Vincent E. Puma in 1982 as a response to the poor and homeless in Paterson, New Jersey, Eva's Village (http://www.evasvillage.org) is a non-profit comprehensive social service organization with a mission to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide medical and dental care to the poor with respect for the human dignity of each individual. Eva's Village has grown from a simple soup kitchen to become the most respected anti-poverty program in the state of New Jersey and now includes fifteen integrated programs housed in numerous buildings spanning several city blocks in downtown Paterson, New Jersey.
For more information about Eva’s Village treatment and recovery support services, call the Access Center at Eva’s Village (973)-523-6220.
