12/30/2025
🎉 Celebrating 55 Years of Recovery, Hope & Community 🎉
With the busyness of the holidays, year-end commitments, and full calendars, we don’t want to forget a very special milestone.
On December 13, OAR / Reach for Recovery proudly celebrated 55 years of serving our community.
Established and incorporated in 1971 as Ottagan Alcoholic Rehabilitation, Inc. (OAR), and later known as Ottagan Addiction Recovery, the organization was the first substance use disorder service provider in the Ottawa and Allegan County area. From the beginning, OAR’s mission was clear:
to offer hope, support, and a path forward for individuals struggling with addiction. The creation of OAR was met with great enthusiasm by the community.
One of OAR’s first major goals was to provide a halfway house for individuals in recovery. That vision became reality with the opening of the Chester A. Ray Rehabilitation Center on East Ninth Street in Holland in 1974 — named in honor of Chester A. Ray, a community leader and advocate for individuals in recovery, whose dedication helped lay the foundation for OAR’s mission. Over the years, OAR continued to grow, developing a comprehensive outpatient services program with offices in Holland and Grand Haven. In April of 1991, the Holland outpatient offices moved from Ninth Street to 139 East Eighth Street, and later to its current location.
A New Name with a Continued Mission — Reach for Recovery
As the organization evolved, it rebranded to Reach for Recovery in 2021 to better reflect its mission of supporting individuals to reach for — and achieve — lasting recovery. Today, Reach for Recovery offers a wide range of services, including residential treatment, outpatient and intensive outpatient programs, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), recovery coaching, family support, and specialized care for mothers with infants, ensuring each person has the tools needed for sustainable success.
Still Serving West Michigan
From its beginnings as the first substance use support provider in the area to its ongoing role as a comprehensive recovery organization, Reach for Recovery remains a trusted partner for individuals and families seeking to break the cycle of addiction and rebuild their lives.
As we reflect on 55 years of impact, we are excited to share historic articles and highlights about OAR’s early residential houses and the life and legacy of Chester A. Ray. These stories showcase our roots, growth, and the countless lives touched along the way.
We are incredibly excited to continue this work and remain deeply committed to serving our community with compassion, dignity, and hope for many years to come.
Here’s to continuing to do what we do best — helping people reach for recovery. 💙
