Life on the streets is a demon that ensnares its prey overnight with consequences that can last a

lifetime. Each night there are over 1200 people living on the streets in Wake County alone. The

plight of the homeless is a timeless dilemma with few effective solutions. Soup kitchens and

clothing drives are mere band-aids on the swelling issue. The Healing Place goes beyond treating

the wound to the source of the disease, and as a commune encourages true rehabilitation for those

steadfast in their commitment to change.

 

It is estimated that 60-80% of the homeless population has either a drug or alcohol dependency.

The Healing Place of Wake County was started in 2001 as a way to address the issues of addiction

and homelessness in a socially responsible manner. The Healing Place operates as a non-profit

rescue and rehabilitation facility that offers a free, long-term, peer-run, 12-step-based, residential

recovery program. Similar treatment programs fall short on the long-term issue while THP has a

success rate averaging nearly 70%; making it one of the best chances for rehabilitating addicts

and helping them rejoin the community.

 

The story of The Healing Place is one that needs to be told. Telling this story will increase awareness

locally, and help spread the ideas of The Healing Place to other communities. Open Box

Productions will tell this story using the voice of THP, its residents. Much as with the facility

itself, we will use the 12 steps of AA as the framework for the film. The human aspect will derive

from the recollections and material showing each stop on the road to recovery. Interwoven within

this tale of redemption will be material which shows the methods and ideology of The Healing

Place and how this process is supported by its staff, volunteers, and the community as a whole.

This includes the reintroduction of the residents into the community and the necessities of job placement, housing, and a support system that discourages relapses.

 

This ‘behind-the-scenes’ look will include the economic impact of The Healing Place, both what it gives to the community and where and how it is funded. While these informative aspects are integral to the film, it is the story of the residents that will draw in the audience and keep them captivated. In order to elicit the most emotional audience reactions, the main focus of the human-aspect will be the women’s center. Because it is relatively new, comparing the women’s center to the well established men’s center will illustrate the successful program of The Healing Place in its entirety.

 

 

Shawn Ishihara & Ashir Gruder

Open Box Productions, LLC