Many amazing articles have appeared in the pages of the Butler Eagle over the past several weeks, as the editorial staff has embarked on a peek behind the curtain regarding the state of addiction in the county.

One such story appeared on Page 1 of the Sunday edition, in which staff writer Zach Petroff told us of the county Drug and Alcohol department’s announcement of the upcoming grand opening of the “Center on Center.”

The four-story building, which most recently was the Grace Youth and Family Foundation, was purchased by the Nonprofit Development Corporation and will be a multifaceted recovery center for those discharged from sobriety programs.

The Center on Center building was a large part of the Butler social scene in decades past, as it opened in 1907 as the Atlas Hotel and boasted 23 sleeping rooms and a dining room that could accommodate 40 people, according to the book “Butler, a Pictorial History” by Stephen M. Pozar and Jean B. Purvis.

More than 115 years later, instead of offering a place to sleep and a decent meal to those who just left the nearby Baltimore and Ohio passenger train station, “the old Atlas” will provide those in recovery with communication resources, networking, and healthy activities so they can get their lives back on track and build a healthy future.

The center’s priority will be helping those who have been in treatment for 60 days, which is a demographic that is sometimes overlooked.

Donna Jenereski, director of the county’s Drug and Alcohol Programs, said one of the most critical points during the journey of a person fighting for lifelong sobriety is going home from a treatment facility.

People are going from constant support and protection from addiction to the sometimes overwhelming prospect of day-to-day life on their own.

Jenereski hopes the Center on Center will provide a safe space for those left to their own devices after treatment.

Brian Savochka, director of the county’s Human Services department, said GED classes, job coaching, resume writing, speaker series and other programs at the Center on Center could help steer those working to maintain sobriety in the right direction.

Jason Beckwith, a member of the center’s planning committee, said he hopes the new facility will actually inspire a culture of recovery in Butler, as those early in their long-term recovery journey are surrounded by programs and those who have walked a mile in their shoes.

He said the needs of those focusing on recovery will be met at the Center on Center, where programs will be adjusted as necessary.

Given the rundown on the new Center on Center, there appears to be a completion of the circle of recovery that bodes very well for the addiction issues in our county.

The Center on Center, combined with the many other treatment, housing and other addiction services available in Butler, may just be the final piece in the local treatment puzzle.

The Butler Eagle lauds those who work hard every day to provide hope to those who have fallen into the downward spiral of addiction and are trying to fight their way back out.

Beating addiction is a boon, not only the person working to do so, but to all residents, as it affects recidivism at the county jail, the availability of a stable workforce, the conditions of our neighborhoods and the safety of our streets.

Bravo to all involved with the creation of Center on Center.

— PG