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By John Bailey
United Way Catawba County
How many chances does anyone deserve to have in life?
For Exodus Homes Chief Operating Officer and CFO Carol Vandergrift, the answer is as many as you need.
In fact, she recently shared a story with the United Way about a resident who went out on a weekend pass. The temptation to use again was too much, and he overdosed. What’s significant about this story is how Exodus as an agency responded to the crisis.
“Yes, it was tragic, but when he woke up, who was in that room? It wasn’t family members,” Vandergrift said. “It was Rev. Reggie Longcrier (Exodus Homes founder and CEO) and Darlene (Sanders) along with a couple of others from Exodus, all there when he woke up.
“They let him know they still loved him and hoped he came back after going through rehab again, and they wanted to help him through that journey.”
Exodus Homes - a 2026 United Way of Catawba County funded partner - is a transitional and supportive housing and employment program for individuals coming out of incarceration and/or rehab, helping residents continue their journey of recovery from addiction. A key criteria for admission is completion of a substance abuse treatment program. According to the agency’s United Way mid-year report, it currently has 83 residents in its program.
“It’s disturbing that people are coming out (of incarceration) and have nothing and no one to reach out to for help.”
Support with no judgement
At some point, Exodus residents had family and friends who would help them, but often those bridges are burnt after years of addiction. It can take a long time to repair those relationships, which is one of the goals for Exodus, coaching residents on how to rebuild those connections.
“They don’t have the social skills to integrate back into society, coming out of prison or a rehab facility,” Vandergrift said. “Many don’t have job skills and all too often nearly 90 percent of the time, they don’t have any official form of identification, social security card, driver’s license.
“When they are let out, they are not equipped for success. We expect them to fight their way out of it, but they have nothing. I wish people understood where they are starting from. Most of the people I talk to think our residents start from at least zero. I’d say they are starting from negative ten.”
She compares it to the game Chutes and Ladders. Just when you think are on the right path, you hit a bump and lose all the ground you just gained.
“Sometimes, it can take several tries before a program like Exodus Homes clicks which is not unusual, and staff always stresses this to those trying to enter the program. If they don’t make it the first time, they are always welcome to try again when they are ready,” Vandergrift said.
And as for the resident who slipped, used again and then overdosed, Exodus remained by his side. With encouragement from the agency’s staff, he went through another round of rehab and returned to the program and is back on the path of recovery.
“To me that is success because that is doing what our donors need us to do to be, that stop gap to give someone the chance to make that change. If we hadn’t been there, he would have been released and put right back on the street with no direction,” Vandergrift said.
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