Testimonials

After being in and out of more than 15 treatment facilities from the age of 14 and still continuing to use drugs, I had accepted my fate as an addict that could never get clean... I knew death was inevitable. After a clinical professional recommended Legacy House I went to check it out. Since that time, my life has never been the same. I got there at age 21, I’m now 26 and have almost five years drug and alcohol free and I owe it all to Legacy. The owners’ real world experience and professionalism was the only thing that had ever gotten through to me and because of that my life is saved and I consider Legacy my home, my family and my friends.

Chris M.

Had it not been for the dedicated owners, staff and resources of Legacy, I know our wonderful son would not be alive today. Everyone’s story is different, the degree of the addiction and the length of the addiction. Our son was a great student, athletic, humorous and a joy to be around. Gradually from middle school on, he could only think of marijuana and then other drugs. His grades dropped and he was no longer interested in school. We had him in and out of rehabs at the age of 14. We tried local rehabs and finally sent him out of state to enclosed facilities. After his release he would immediately get loaded. We tried tough love; he was living in his car at the end. We searched for what to do next. Finally we heard of Legacy. We were at our wits end with fear for his life. He must have felt the fear for himself too, as he agreed to check- out Legacy. I’m sure he thought 30-days and I’m out and back to my old ways. We turned him completely over to Legacy. I figured if a mother’s love could help, we would not be in this situation. They gave him the structure, guidelines and knowledge to change his life. It was no small process. He had a 10 year drug problem and his body was in the shape of a 50 year old man. They set the guidelines for his life as they felt he was ready. Step-by-step, he got a little job after 9 months sober. He could handle that, so next step he went back to school. They gave him the tools to re-enter the world sober and to recognize the relapse signs. He had always set himself up to fail. He has almost 5-years sober, his new friends and extended family that he met though Legacy support each other, encourage each other in a way that I did not know existed. He would not be here today without the tools he learned from Legacy. We feel so blessed to be around the man he has become......we have our son back!!!!! We owe so much gratitude to Legacy for giving our son his life back. I did not include all the horrible details of his drug addiction, but I’m sure you must know them or have read about them if you are reading this. Good Luck.

Susie M.

When I was in treatment getting ready to leave it was suggested that I go to a sober living. I had no idea what that meant but agreed to it anyway. When I moved into Legacy I was greeted with such a loving welcome. For the first 6 months of my recovery I was very shy and afraid. Legacy became a place for me to learn and grow. I had no idea how to live "life" and did not know how to ask for help. The experiences I had staying there taught me so much about myself. I went through such a change from having such low self-esteem to a place where I was comfortable with me. One of the only reasons why this happened is because I was in such a loving environment that embraced recovery and personal growth. Venera and Jessica helped me so much to find out what was best for me and helped me learn how to stay clean. They had a lot of patience with me, especially since I was so shy. My experiences at Legacy saved my life. I was hopeless and confused before I came to the house. The time and effort that I received while living there and after have been such a huge and beneficial part in my recovery. The simple tasks I had to do every day, like make my bed, were such foreign concepts by the time I got to Legacy. It’s the simple tasks that seem like they are so easy to do, that are the things as an addict I forgot. The people I have met while at Legacy and after have been placed in my life for a reason. Venera and Jessica, and Legacy as a whole is such a blessing and gift that I was unaware that I needed or deserved. When I come back for Alumni on Tuesday nights, I don’t feel as if I’m a stranger in someone else’s home, I feel comfortable and safe. While at Legacy, I transferred to a four-year school and have moved so much closer to my goal of law school. If you would have asked me three years ago what I thought I would be doing now, I would not have been able to answer. I couldn’t even tell someone what made me happy. When I chose to come to Legacy I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never been to treatment or in recovery before. I am so happy and grateful that Legacy was there for me and that I am part of the community. The love that Venera and Jessica have for the house and the purpose of the house is clear. They want to help recovering addicts and alcoholics stay clean and learn how to live life. Legacy was the perfect place for me to start integrating back into society and learn how to be ok with me.

H.D.

Legacy is so much more than a sober living; it is a family, a community, a place to call home, it is where some lives begin and others are transformed, where miracles happen, and healing is shared. Legacy believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I had just celebrated my twentieth birthday, and had already been through treatment over twenty times when I moved into Legacy. I had lost nearly all hope, doubting that I could ever find recovery. But when I met with the owners I felt understood for the first time, I was met with love and empathy, and that compelled me to stay. I came to Legacy, a little girl, completely lost and ill-equipped for living. I had spent years bouncing in and out of various hospitals, rehabs, and treatment centers, and had resigned myself to living the rest of my existence that way. I was unable to form relationships, or let anyone get to know me for that matter. I continued to push people out of my life, and then wonder why I felt so alone. I was unaware that I had a problem, and persisted to blame other people and circumstances for the series of unfortunate events I referred to my life as. Legacy has become my home, and my family. It is where the foundation of my recovery was built. Through the daily chores, meditation, meetings, and workshops I have learned about responsibility, structure, and accountability. I gained knowledge on the disease, and realized that the owners had been fighting against my disease. For someone else to make a personal investment like this in me and my life goes way beyond what words could express. Today, I am a young woman. With three and a half years clean, I am still growing. But my life today is filled with abundance, love, and joy. I am actively involved in the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous, attending meetings daily, working with the same sponsor, and being of service. I have learned to take all Legacy has given me, and carry it with me out into the world. I believe that there are no coincidences, and coming to Legacy was in no way a coincidence. It has truly saved my life, and if all I can do is share that with someone else, then the Legacy still lives on.

Christina Y.

When I showed up at Legacy Sober Living after attending a 30 day treatment center I immediately felt at home. Legacy provided me with a safe transition in to my new life as a sober person. Each day which typically included, 12 step oriented workshops, meetings and community outings, kept me out of my head and focused on my sobriety. I greatly appreciate the hands on approach taken by Venera and Jessica with meand all of their clients. The foundation of my sobriety was built from the very basis of the love and respect that was shown to me from the very beginning leading all the way up until today. As a Legacy alumni, I am constantly being included in different opportunities to be of service to those who are walking on the same path that I was on just a few years prior. By staying in touch with the house, I am able to maintain a relationship with both the management and the past and present clients. I value my time spent at Legacy and recognize the many contributions it has had on my life, nearly 3 years later.

Anthony H.

A little over a month after I turned twenty years old I woke up to an intervention and landed at Promises Treatment in Malibu. It was my first time in treatment and I had no idea what being clean and sober even meant. My time there seemed to fly by and as my body started to heal my head started to spin. A counselor at that time had recommended to my family that I participate in an outpatient and sober living, and my response was that I was busy. Reluctantly, I checked out three suggested sober livings. Legacy was the last one on my list. It seemed like the best option at the time because the house is very close to one of my favorite taco stands. From the moment I walked in I was embraced by a whole community that I had never experienced before. I was defiant, angry, self-willed, and still very sick but Venera & Jessica and everyone who lived at the house embraced me. I relapsed shortly after moving in and my only wish was to come back to Legacy. When I walked through the doors with my head held low Venera hugged me and said "we will love you until you can love yourself." And that is what happened to me. Legacy was where I kicked and screamed and very slowly grew into the woman that I am today. As a newcomer, any time I was scared or lonely or something happened in my life, Legacy would be there and welcome me with endless warmth and support. I have been sober a little over five years now and I still go back to the house because to me, Legacy is not any ordinary sober living, Legacy is family. I am truly proud and endlessly grateful to say that I am a part of Legacy.

Amie S.

No Words can describe what Legacy has done for me. It is more than a sober living to me. It has become my second home. I really did not think that I would be able to stay clean but just a few weeks ago, I celebrated a year clean. Since being at Legacy, I have had the opportunity to go back to school. I have also gotten a job in a field that I have always dreamed of working in. I know for a fact that none of this would have been possible without the help of Legacy and everybody associated with Legacy. I have been shown such an unbelievable amount of love ever since I entered Legacy. I truly believe that Legacy saved my life. I could never repay them for what they have given me.

Brittany M.

My Stay at Legacy... From the moment Jessica picked me up at the airport as I was arriving from my stint at a Utah rehab, I knew I had made the right decision in choosing to stay at Legacy sober living. She expressed to me a level of personal care and attention that was a foreshadowing of my treatment to come. I had heard from others associated with the treatment of my disease that Legacy had a reputation as a highly respected place in which to experience living in early recovery. Not knowing what to expect, I trusted the recommendations of those more knowledgeable than me. It was not only one of the best decisions of my life; it,in fact, helped to SAVE my life. Legacy provided me with a foundation on which to build a life with joy and meaning in sobriety. Even the simplest thing, the physical aspect of the house itself, was conducive to my recovery. I enjoyed the spiritual atmosphere that Venera and Jessica cultivated by arranging and nurturing the various flowers, trees, water fountain, and peaceful umbrella-ed outdoor seating areas.I found this setting good for my soul as I was just starting to get back to appreciating, instead of overlooking, the beauty and the miracle of life that unfolds all around us. I spent many hours reading or writing fellowship assignments in those areas as it inspired my creativity. Of course the real joy I experienced lies is in the relationships I built with the people there. The emotional bonds I developed with such a seemingly disparate (though we shared the commonality of our addiction) group of individuals was fostered and encouraged by the whole of the Legacy team. They continually showed me how to overcome my illusion of apart-ness and how to experience the development of authentic and meaningful relationships; what it means to have and be a real friend, what it means to be connected, and what it means to find my voice. The people of Legacy are still always connected to me. As an alumnus, they remain vital to my ongoing recovery. I will forever be grateful to Venera for taking such a proactive interest in my life. She, along with team member Billy S., made sure I was taken to an array of different 12-step fellowship meetings in order to help me find the place that was most contributive to my recovery goals. Because of her love and support, I found an amazing 12-step homegroup and sponsor who have become a living part of my day to day growth! In addition, Venera would provide me with all the support one could ask for, be it reading recommendations or a gentle but firm nudge in the right direction if she noticed I was veering off the path of my priorities. She was a constant reminder to me that we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. Having people like this in my life who cared enough to notice and guide was transforming for me. I was not the exception but rather the rule. Venera, Jessica and the entire team make sure that each client gets to where they need to "be" in furtherment of their individual recovery situations. The daily activities I experienced at Legacy created a metamorphosis in me. The morning and evening meditations, and the various workshops and community activities they have designed are second to none. I,as an alumnus,still participate in the workshops and alumni meetings and I have carried the meditation practices into my life as personal habits I perform daily. I have other friends whom I've met through recovery who stay at various other sober facilities and not one has expressed to me that they have had anywhere near that kind of learning experience. I am truly grateful and blessed. I learned how to receive and give love unconditionally while at Legacy, and this was the underlying key to my stay. Behind all the workshops, the advice, the firm guidance, and ALL the 12-step meetings we attended, was an underlying and undeniable love, shepherded by Venera and Jessica, for all of us who are going through this incredibly difficult, yet wonderful, time in our lives. They love us and they truly love helping us recover from this disease.This is why they are known as the best at what they do. So with that I will close with the gratitude of a lifetime for Legacy; to the entire team, Venera, Jessica, Claire, Billy, Kim, Dan, for giving me my life back. Bless them all for helping to put me on a path to joy,meaning, and purpose again, where there once was none. They have helped me see the opportunity through the difficulty. Above all, they have helped me remember who I really am and how to be one with life. Legacy will always live in my heart. With Love,

Tom H.