Saint Matthews House hosts ‘golf-a-thon’ to help addiction recovery

This Friday, you can help support those recovering from addiction by playing a game of golf right here in Southwest Florida.

The 21st Annual Dean Lind Golf-A-Thon event in Naples is designed to generate support and raise awareness for Saint Matthew’s House which helps the homeless and those recovering from addiction.

Drug addiction and alcohol plague millions. More than 21 million Americans suffer from opioid addiction alone.

One local man is thankful for the help he got at St. Matthews House.

“Last February, I overdosed on heroin,” said Nicolas Matson. “I’ve been battling with addiction for the past five years and I couldn’t live like that anymore.”

Thanks to the treatment and support he got at Saint Matthew’s House, he is healthy and working as a mover in Southwest Florida.

“It’s a blessing,” Matson said. “My mom and dad wouldn’t have their son, my brothers wouldn’t have their brother. I was just tired of living that life.”

His truck represents much more than a work tool.

“I thought I was going to die a heroin addict.”

Graduates of the year-long addiction recovery program go on to mentor other addicts.

“The program is for people who are broken,” said one of the program leaders. “The program is for men who need recovery from drugs and alcohol.”

“They teach you how to discover yourself again,” said Matson. “They teach how to trust people, how to cope with your emotions, how to work and stay sober.”

100 people in the United States die from drug overdoses everyday.

“This disease is killing people,” said Matson. “People are out here dying and they’re scared to get help and let people know that they need it.”

People can get help with Saint Matthews House.

To read about how to participate in the golf tournament, you can visit their website.