Rally for H.O.P.E Recovery Center is set this afternoon

A roadside waving and petition signing called Rally for H.O.P.E. is scheduled this afternoon from 3:30pm to 5pm at the Capitol Hill Softball Field adjacent to the CNMI Governor’s Office.

This comes soon after it was learned last month that the Hinemlu Ohala Para Enteramenti, or HOPE Recovery Center, might shut down due to budgetary constraints. One of the center’s clients, Jun Santos, and his peers in recovery and other supporters are organizing the “Rally for H.O.P.E.,” which they made clear is not a Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Rehabilitation Program, SAAR, sanctioned event.

Santos said the center has helped him and his peers through their journey of recovery and pursuit of a sober and better life.

“The center is a necessity in the community. There are so many people [on] Saipan that are struggling with the disease of addiction and closing down the only residential treatment center here—which can house addicts in a safe environment—is going to hugely impact the community in a negative way,” said Santos.

Santos himself has been in recovery since November 2020 but he’s had few relapses with alcohol and methamphetamines. He sought help from the center after he felt that he was going to “lose” himself again when he went through a really bad relapse.

“I knew I needed to try something different. I didn’t feel like I was strong enough to stay away from the drugs and alcohol if I [were] surrounded by it. I felt like I would’ve just given in to my addiction again,” he recalled.

Santos lived in the center for seven months and completed the recovery program. “It has helped me in a great way to be able to have that residential treatment, to have that kind of environment where we feel safe and secure. We can’t just walk out to get our fix and come back in.”

He said receiving residential treatment helps addicts in recovery prolong their sobriety rather than trying to stay sober on their own without the help and resources that the center provides.

In addition to the rally and petition signing tomorrow, an online petition is available at https://www.change.org/p/saving-hope. As of press time, it has garnered 750 signatures out of an initial goal of getting 1,000 signatures in all.

Along with this, supporters of the center are actually reaching out to people in person to sign a physical petition to show the importance of their cause.

The deadline for the petition is on Feb. 17 and another rally for the center is scheduled for that day at a more centralized location. 

Santos invites the community to come out and support the rally, sign the petition, and honk their cars when they drive by. “We invite the whole community, from anybody who has a family member in recovery, or if you are a person in recovery, or have lost someone you know to addiction, and just want to be there to support the cause, come out and join us.”

He also hopes the rally’s close proximity to the Governor’s Office will show that the community wants their voices to be heard to keep the center open.

HOPE, which is locally funded under the Office of the Governor, has helped prevent about 80% of Drug Court participants from committing crimes again.
The center reopened on March 14, 2022, after a four-month long relocation.