Five years since opening its doors, the ROC Recovery Center in Medford is celebrating its new digs and continuing to forge new community partnerships to combat addiction.

Standing inside the lobby of the former Larson’s Home Furnishings annex at 305 S. Fir St., Doug Gould, the ROC’s executive director, said he had long dreamed of creating a community resource center inside the building.

The one-time furniture store consists of two buildings connected by a skywalk over West 10th Street.

On the north side is the building that now houses Grace Point Fellowship, the place where the ROC began. On the south side is the ROC’s new home: a two-story structure — boasting 24,000 square feet, plus a basement — that has seen a menagerie of businesses over the years.

Gould began working in addiction recovery after his own battle with alcoholism more than a decade ago. He took over leadership of the formerly Medford-based Foundations for Recovery in 2012 and wanted to continue peer-to-peer support after he left the organization in October 2018.

Just 52 days later, Grace Point pastor Tom Sabens welcomed Gould and a small band of volunteers into the church.

“I started the ROC Recovery Center on the idea that we were still going to offer peer-to-peer delivered services — one-on-one recovery coaching for all forms of addiction, not just chemical,” Gould said, noting that the ROC — which stands for “Restoring Our Community” — provides support for all types of addiction, from drug and alcohol addiction to pornography and gambling.

“Tom felt like I did. We both had read an article that said only 8% of churches nationwide had anything to do with mental health and addiction. He was just embarrassed, and rightfully so. He felt like churches should step up. So he said, ‘Come use our facility. We’ve got plenty of room.’”

Shortly after opening inside Grace Point Fellowship, Gould remembers dreaming up the future of “the ROC” with Sabens, who died of cancer just after Easter 2021.

“We were having coffee one day, standing on the furniture ramp outside (Grace Point Fellowship), and he said, ‘Ya know, one of these days you should turn that building next door” — the one on the south side of West 10th — “into a community center, like a one-stop center, where people come in and get whatever services they need,’” Gould said.

Still dreaming up ways to renovate and fill their new space, Gould said the building offers five times the amount of room as their old home across the street.

For the ROC Recovery Center, the added square footage means an expansion of the number and type of support groups that can be made available, a resource closet in the basement for household and personal items for individuals rebuilding their lives during recovery, and space for training and certification of peer support professionals, Gould said.

A lounge will allow clients to do everything from impromptu meetings or online job applications to schoolwork. Long term, a “learn to be fit” exercise space will be setup in part of the basement.

Gould likened the ROC to “one-stop shopping.”

“Somebody comes in and they need some multiple resources, we’ll have these partnerships with other local organizations. We do things other places don’t do … and they do stuff we don’t do,” he said.

Almost a tribute to Sabens’ renowned generosity, Gould plans to offer affordable rent for other community organizations, focusing on everything from homelessness to suicide prevention. The shared space, he said, will foster improved networking and sharing of resources that will benefit those providing and those receiving them.

Gould said the ROC quietly began moving into the new space early this year but marked its official grand opening just this month.

Walk-ins, he noted, are on the rise compared to the foot traffic they experienced when they were in the church building.

“For some reason, a lot of people who are struggling with addiction, they won’t walk into a church,” he said.

“We’re seeing about 35 to 40 clients a week that are receiving counseling and, in general, serving well over 100 people per week. … There is just so much need in Southern Oregon.”

While currently funded by donations, fundraisers and occasional grants, Gould said work is underway to get the ROC qualified to bill insurance companies for services.

A decline in donations of between 35% and 40% since the coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge, Gould said, but an inability to pay doesn’t prevent community members from accessing services.

“We have donors and churches that give to us — that’s our primary funding. If somebody doesn’t have private pay, we still help,” Gould said.

“I got a call recently from a gal asking about our services. She was like, ‘I don’t know if I could afford it.’ I said, ‘We don’t care. I’ll call a sponsor and figure it out.’ … We find a way to take care of it, to take care of people.”

From battling his own demons to expanding faith-based, peer-to-peer addiction support for the region, Gould said he’s taking it one day at a time and trusting in a higher power.

“What God has delivered you from, he gives you a voice for,” he said.

“And that’s the cool thing about the ROC. Most all of our staff have lived experience … It’s all about one person helping another.”

To seek help through ROC, call 541-200-3000 or email rocrecoverycenter@gmail.com.

The ROC Recovery Center will host its annual Strong & Courageous Recovery Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

While the event has been hosted as a softball tournament since 2012, debuting as a “Guns and Hoses” cops vs. firefighters game, this year’s event will be a bowling tournament dubbed “This is How We Roll.”

Teams can register in any of several categories: mental health and addiction recovery programs, church or faith community teams, local businesses, youth or high school teams, family teams and “over 55.”

A nod to the event’s beginnings, a “Guns and Hoses” game will take place, and a parking lot fair — with information booths, vendors and games including a dunk tank and paintball shooting gallery — will be set up outside.

To sign up, or for more info, call 541-200-3000 or visit online:

https://rocrecoverycenter.org/events-2/

https://www.facebook.com/therocmedford