OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) — For John Herrera, music was a gateway to addiction.
“The way that I got into substances was through playing music. People would come through, and then they would give different substances to me,” said the Senior Peer Recovery Coach.
Now, it’s his safe haven and a tool to empower young adults who are struggling.
“So here at Nate's Place, the goal was to create a safe space for individuals to come in and to play music and to have open expression without having the pressure of substances,” said Herrera.
Nate’s Place is a hub that provides one-on-one peer coaching, group counseling, education and support groups, and over 20 recreational activities.
Larry Rhoades and Heidi Allison created Nate’s Place just three years ago to honor their late son — a man who overcame drug addiction as a young teen but tragically passed in a car accident.
"The reality is he's gone. But we have him in spirit, and we have this place, which is fantastic,” said Larry Rhoades.
Nate's Place uses a holistic approach to healing, and a huge part of that includes physical exercise.
“When we exercise it produces endorphins and it helps reduce mental health symptoms. It's also healthy for people who are struggling with substance use. And the same with music and art. They're all three are backed by science that they help with kids’ mental health,” said Heidi Allison, who is the Nate’s Place Co-Founder and Program Director.
And now Nate’s Place has been awarded a $5.71 million grant, which will allow it to expand its youth wellness and recovery campus.
A big portion of the grant will also help with housing.
“We have quite a few kids who've either slept in cars. You know, they've had to sleep in a park. Maybe they got a fight with their parents… so we've ended up paying quite a few motel vouchers. And so what we decided to do, is to start a Peer Respite and it's going to be a separate building. It'll be very separate from our wellness center,” said Allison.
“We're not going to just ship you off to your brother's house. What we're going to do is we're going to find, solution for you so that we can empower you to get your own life,” said Herrera.
Nate’s Place must fundraise a 10% community match of $571,000 to secure the grant.
It will eventually relocate to a new 1.4 acre property at 375 South K Street in Oxnard.
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