Our Story
At Central Oregon Peer Services, we don’t just offer a bed — we offer a proven path back to dignity, work, and lasting recovery.
Let me introduce you to three men whose lives show what’s possible:
David was picked up from jail in a snowstorm by someone he had never met. Josh bought him coffee, offered him a paid job on the landscape crew and a room in our sober home. David rose to fleet manager and head mechanic. Life knocked him down multiple times, but we never walked away. Today he is sober since October 2025, has his own home, a good job, regular visits with his son, and is engaged. “They are the only people who have gone out of their way to help me better my life,” he says.
Eric lost 25+ years to addiction. After his dad — his best friend and using partner — passed away, he hit rock bottom in psychosis at the crisis center. Through Teen Challenge and then as one of the very first residents at The Rest Stop, Eric found faith, sobriety (September 28, 2023), and purpose. He earned his Peer Support Specialist certification, now works as a Landscape Maintenance Manager with Bend Landscape, mentors others at the house, and is married with two step-sons. “The man I used to be has died,” he says, “and a new man is being born.”
Matt was incarcerated awaiting trial with a large bail. Josh appeared in court, testified, and convinced the judge to release Matt into our custody. Since arriving, Matt has embraced daily Bible study, gym workouts, weekly volunteering, twice-weekly landscaping work with Bend Landscaping, 12-step meetings, and house chores that build real life skills. He’s now planning to become a Peer Support Specialist himself. “This place has taught me life skills I’ll use forever,” Matt says. “I wish I had found something like this sooner.”