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Prodigal Sons & Daughters to host open house
Prodigal Sons
Turlock's Prodigal Sons & Daughters is one of 25 local nonprofits to be awarded a grant through the Stanislaus County Community Benefit Contribution Program (Photo contributed).

Turlock’s Prodigal Sons & Daughters will be showcasing their new and existing services within their newly renovated space during an open house on Saturday. Community members can visit the headquarters at 352 E. Olive Ave from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while being treated to free refreshments.

Kris Loera is the organization’s director of youth care and spoke about some of the goals for Saturday’s open house.

“The main purpose of the open house is to show our community all of the services we have been providing throughout the year and showcase some of the new groups we’ve added for this summer. It’s also important to show that we stayed open during COVID and that we’ve been supporting the community in different ways,” she explained.

During the open house, visitors will take a tour of the facilities, including the art therapy room, the drug prevention room, the open meeting room, and a kitchen area where they host cooking classes with youth members.

Loera explained that attendees will be receiving information on new programs aimed at helping community members cope with addiction while being able to meet with the staff members involved. These programs include substance abuse recovery meetings, one-on-one counseling, spiritual guidance, brief drug intervention for children, parents supporting teens, teen life coach, aftercare and interpersonal skills groups.

According to Loera, interpersonal skills groups are something new to Prodigal Sons & Daughters. The groups are designed to increase the members’ knowledge necessary for everyday living, emphasizing communication, healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships.

Loera added that the open house will share some of the recovery services that cannot be found elsewhere, such as aftercare.

“With aftercare, we serve as a buffer while someone is obtaining that sobriety,” Loera explained. “We’re the only place in Turlock that does this type of thing. We have agencies in Stanislaus County that helps those who are currently addicted, but we offer programs that help you and guide you to help you return back to society.”

After getting a rundown of the resources available, the open house will then give opportunities for community members to sign up and enroll themselves or a loved one into the programs. All services are free for both adults and youth.

Loera explained that enrolling into services such as counseling does not require individuals to be users themselves.

“Family members of users can attend the open house and the meetings to find out what it all entails so that they can connect their loved ones to these services and better understand the steps they may go through on their journey to recovery,” she said. “They can also receive counseling if they have a family member who is using and they don’t know how to support them.”

Aside from community engagement and enrollment, those interested in work and volunteering opportunities at Prodigal Sons & Daughters will be given informational brochures at the event. Information on becoming a donor to the organization will also be available. Community members are also encouraged to go to www.prodigalsonsanddaughters.org for additional resources.