For the one in seven in the U.S. that struggle with addiction or substance use disorder, getting sober is often only one part of recovery. For many, overcoming the stigma around addiction and rebuilding their lives can be just as big of an obstacle.
Fortunately, many companies allow people to work while supporting their sobriety journey and recovery. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Walker Lumber & Supply created and strongly supports a Second Chance program for the past several years since owners Ray Hayles and Scott McMillan took ownership of the company.
After struggling for years with drug addiction, David Blair said he found the Second Chance program at Walker Lumber & Supply in 2019.
“I was dealing with trying to figure how to do a life without the use of any type of substance. It’s challenging. The program really allowed me to have responsibility, accountability, and purpose. It really drove me to be the best version of myself. It really had a pivotal role in my life to what I have now.”
More than four years later, Blair is now yard manager and oversees Walker’s Second Chance program for the approximately 20 people currently participating. The benefits of the program are two-fold, Blair said. Participants have a place to work and receive support, and the company gets dedicated workers, many who stay long-term.
“If we invest into people, they invest back into us, and that’s always been our mindset,” Blair said.
Hannah Baldwin, human resources and payroll manager for Walker Lumber, said the company has had more than 100 participants go through the program to date from a variety of different backgrounds and regions.
“Drug addiction, alcoholism, all that, it affects everyone in every ZIP code and every income level—it does not pick and choose who it goes after,” Baldwin said.
Participants in the program undergo random drug screenings as well as part of the state’s Tennessee Drug Free Workforce Program requirements to help keep them accountable, Baldwin said. But more than that, she said the most important thing is having compassion for those going through the program.
Baldwin said those who violate the requirements of the program can be terminated. “We are part of a drug free workplace, in Tennessee there are requirements from the state,” she said. “But even if it does lead up to termination, we’ll still give them the help they need. The doors always open as long as they seek the help that they need.”
“Patience and understanding are the two most important things,” she said. “We try to put ourselves in peoples’ shoes, because it’s an adjustment at first when you’re learning all these things, learning how to deal with people and handle people. There’s a lot of mental health that goes in with addiction. Being patient is important because when you’re dealing with those type of situations, they can shut down real quick, because they don’t know how to communicate.”
Blair said that kind of support can be life-saving and can make a big difference in someone’s recovery.
“I’m really passionate about recovery,” Blair said. “I’d probably be in jail or dead right now if it weren’t for recovery. That’s a win for a second chance program and somebody looking at me and not judging me on my path. It’s really important to me.”
The Second Chance program was a natural fit for Walker Lumber & Supply’s culture, Baldwin said. She said the company works to pay special attention to the well-being of not just program participants, but to all its employees. Baldwin said she works with each employee to make sure they are taking full advantage of the company’s insurance program, especially for those who don’t have primary care physicians.
This initiative recently helped to save the life of one employee who learned he had cancer after a routine screening, she said.
“Ray and Scott brought me in to love on our people, and that’s what I do and I learn from them, so much every day,” Baldwin said. “It doesn’t matter what pops up—we’re going to get through it and we’re going to show them love. If people do stumble, and they do hit bumps in the road, that doesn’t mean that they drop them. It just means they just need a little more love than somebody else in that season.”
Blair said in the future, he hopes to expand the program to reach more people in need of a fresh start and a safe place to recover.
“Everybody deserves a second chance; that’s what we really have to focus on, giving some- body a second chance to be the best version of themselves, regardless of their past,” he said. “The hardest part is looking past that individual’s past, and loving them without even know- ing them and giving them a chance.”
