Volunteers For Recovery

03/31/2026

03/24/2026

Recovery isn’t a solo mission.

It happens in community.
In shared experience.
In people who understand.

That’s what recovery housing is built for.

03/23/2026

Who is NARR (National Alliance for Recovery Residences) and who is TNARR ( Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences)?

If you are following our page you see me talk about this on a regular basis. This short (10 min) read explains exactly who they are, what federal departments they partner with, and what legislation is in place. Get informed and understand why it’s so important for recovery residences to be certified!

What does “high-quality” recovery housing actually mean, and who decides? As national standards and federal guidance become clearer, the gap between certified and uncertified environments is harder to ignore. This follow-up explores why certification is no longer optional.

03/23/2026

👀 Sneak peek: Our Next Men’s Recovery Home 👀

This one is different.

And yeah… it might ruffle a few feathers.

🚫 Bunk Beds.

Let’s just go ahead and say it.

The men coming into this home aren’t being WAREHOUSED.
They’re not being stacked on top of each other just to maximize a head count.

That’s not recovery. That’s a business model.

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✔️ Private & Semi-Private Rooms

Because dignity matters.
Because rest matters.
Because recovery actually takes space, structure, and stability.

And because we are a CERTIFIED home —
we don’t cut corners, and we don’t pack people in.

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Let’s be real…

There are a lot of places out there focused on
“How many beds can we fit?” Too many in my opinion

We’re focused on:

👉 How many lives can we actually help change

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This home was built for men who are:

✔ Ready to take recovery seriously
✔ Ready to work
✔ Ready to live in a structured, accountable environment
✔ Past the chaos — and ready for something better

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What to expect:

✔ 12-Step based program
✔ Clean, high-quality living environment
✔ Back-to-Work Program through Blue Ribbon Employees (BRE)
✔ Transportation provided through Blue Ribbon Transit (BRT)
✔ Accountability, structure, and real support

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This isn’t just another recovery house.

This is what recovery housing is supposed to look like.

This is what TNARR (Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences) which is our states affiliate of NARR (National Alliance for Recovery Residences) CERTIFIED housing is!

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💬 Go ahead and share this — because people need to see what’s possible when it’s done right.

03/22/2026

Recovery doesn’t start with everything figured out.

It starts with a door.

A safe home.
The right environment.
People who get it.

That’s where change begins.

Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences

03/21/2026

🚨 STOP. READ THIS BEFORE YOU CHOOSE A RECOVERY HOME 🚨

This might offend some people…
but it needs to be said.

And if you know me — you know I’m going to say it anyway.

Right is right. Wrong is wrong.

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Just because a place says
“We accept RHP”
does NOT mean it’s a safe recovery home.

Let me say that again louder for the people in the back:

📣RHP approval ≠ safe, structured, or ethical housing.

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Here’s what changed — and nobody is talking about it:

TDOC no longer provides real oversight to the housing on their list.

What used to mean something…
doesn’t anymore.

Now?

👉 Fill out an application
👉 Set up a vendor account
👉 Get approved

That’s it.

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Let that sink in.

👉 NO real oversight tied to RHP
👉 ANYONE can get approved
👉 Even places with serious past issues… or serious current ones

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So what does that mean in the real world?

It means people are walking into “recovery homes” thinking they’re safe…

…but could actually be walking into:

❌ Chaos
❌ No structure
❌ Zero accountability
❌ Predatory operators
❌ Retaliatory environments
❌ Completely unethical practices

And yes — let’s be real —
places where people are getting hurt… or worse.

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And when someone is trying to rebuild their life…

That’s not just wrong — it’s dangerous.

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Here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud:

The ONLY recovery homes with real oversight today
are the ones that are:

👉 CERTIFIED by a nationally recognized organization

In Tennessee, that means:

✔ TNARR Certified (part of NARR)

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That certification isn’t just a logo.

It means:

✔ Inspections
✔ Standards
✔ Accountability
✔ Ethical operations
✔ Real recovery structure

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At Volunteers for Recovery (VFR), we chose the hard road —
the one with accountability and standards.

Because this isn’t just housing…

This is people’s lives.

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What we offer:

✔ 12-Step based recovery program
✔ Back-to-Work Program through Blue Ribbon Employees (BRE)
✔ Transportation provided through Blue Ribbon Transit (BRT)
✔ Structured, SAFE, accountable environment
✔ Proven to be among the highest quality housing in East TN
✔ Accepting RHP placements

👉 Already have a job? You’re good. We’ll provide your transportation there!

👉 Need a job? We’ll help you get one. We don’t just say we will help you. We have our own, in house employment service that hires you on day ONE!

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Before you choose a recovery home, ask yourself:

Are they certified…
or just getting paid?

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Limited beds available (men & women).

If you’re serious about recovery —
message us now.

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💬 Share this. Someone’s life could depend on seeing it.

03/16/2026

Beds Available – Men’s & Women’s Programs

Volunteers for Recovery currently has a limited number of beds available in both our men’s and women’s recovery residences.

As a TNARR Certified Recovery Residence, we operate with structure, accountability, and ethical standards that support long-term recovery. With the necessary oversight being provided.

Our program includes:

✔ 12-Step based recovery meetings
✔ Back-to-Work Program through Blue Ribbon Employees (BRE)
✔ Transportation 🚌 provided through Blue Ribbon Transit (BRT) to work, meetings, church, medical/mental health appointments, or judicial appointments
✔ Accepting TDOC RHP and MDC Grant placements
✔️ Three prepared meals 🍳🥞 a day provided. Prepared by “Chef Herb”
✔️ On staff LMSW facilitating an EOP for those required to complete one
✔️ Financial literacy, repairing credit and First time home buyer one on one coaching (our first homeowner purchased her home last year!)
✔️ Anger management and fatherhood classes available

Residents can bring their own job or participate in our Back-to-Work program where we help connect people with employment. We provide transportation to both.

At VFR, we focus on removing ALL barriers and helping people rebuild their lives in recovery. We have been providing quality housing in the Knoxville area for the last EIGHT years! We are NOT one of these “here today, gone tomorrow” housing programs. If we advertise we do something, we do it. This is not the old bait and switch that I hear so many are out here doing.

Limited beds available.

💬 Message us today to begin the intake process.

☎️ Male intake line - 865-705-1951

☎️ Female intake line - 865-809-7562

03/15/2026

03/08/2026

📢📢Listen up 📢📢📣📣

If you are huffing air duster, this post is something YOU need to read!

Today I received a call no one wants to get. It took me back instantly to the call I got when there was an accident that we lost two people in. The only difference today, was the vehicle these two girls were in had blown up and the girls had serious burns. I get in the car and head to Park West. However, while on the way I decided to detour to see if I could find this car and I did. The fact that anyone walked away from what I saw was nothing short of a miracle. The only thing left of the car was the frame. I then carry on to the hospital not knowing how bad it’s really going to be.

I walk in the first room and the smell of burnt flesh alone was stomach nauseating. Then to see her laying there with the bodily fluids just dripping from her flesh was even more nauseating and gut wrenching. The second female can’t even breathe because her airway was burnt.

The moral of the story is DO NOT HUFF AIR DUSTER! These two ladies are lucky to be alive but they both have a very long recovery ahead of them. If this story still doesn’t make you wanna stop doing it, take a look at the photos. That should be more than enough.

A huge thank you to KPD, Rural Metro, the arson investigator, and the staff at Park West. They all took very good care of these girls and communicated with me every step of the way. Thank you for not passing judgement on these two ladies! They are both headed to Vanderbilt now to get the level of care they both need.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction/alcoholism, we have a limited numbr of beds available.

☎️ Jason @ 865-705-1951

☎️Tina @ 865-809-7562

03/08/2026

03/08/2026

Black Balloon Day, today. This post is dedicated to every addict we have lost to overdose.

Today, we remember the lives lost to overdose.

Behind every statistic is someone’s child.
Someone’s parent.
Someone’s sibling, partner, or friend.

Black Balloon Day is a day to remember and honor them. Their lives mattered, and their stories will not be forgotten.

We honor their memory and continue working toward a world where fewer families have to carry this kind of grief. 🖤