GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Guiding Light, an addiction rehab facility in Grand Rapids, held a ribbon cutting Wednesday for its new gymnasium meant to aide with recovery.
Wolverine Building Group and eight subcontractors worked for more than 1,000 hours to transform the former food storage area into a workout facility.
"I just really feel, as a business owner, it's important for us to give back and engage with the community. So, we're always looking for projects every year where we can really help our employees understand what the value is and what you receive out of being generous," Wolverine Building Group President and CEO Curt Mulder said.
Additionally, the company raised $5,000 for Guiding Light.
The rehab facility says exercise can be a great way to replace addictive behaviors in a positive way.
"We think pushing ourselves physically or respecting our body and, kind of, learning a new way to live creates endurance. It creates grit. It creates the idea of, 'if I can push through this workout or do this, maybe I can apply this to other areas of my life.' So, we're not trying to make Olympic athletes here, but we are trying to use this as a segue of how this could parlay into doing other things in your life that maybe you thought you couldn't do," Guiding Light Executive Director Brian Elve explained.
FOX 17 talked with a few people participating in the recovery program, and they agree.
"Looking at it from a holistic view, you know— mind, body, spirit— body is part of that, and physical fitness is really pretty important, you know. Not only the physical aspects, but also, you know, it reduces anxiety, depression, all sorts of things," one participant said.
"Working out gives me value and confidence in myself," another added. "It allows me to connect with the community and it's a great practice for humility, to ask for help and to be guided, but mostly, it helps me recognize that I am valued. I have value and then love myself."
"Service is a big piece of what we try to help the men develop," Elve said. "It's not an 'I' program, it's a 'we' program, and I think for myself, too, when I think about all the people that had their hands in this, I think the men start to see that giving back or being of service for others can really...benefit the giver too. And once they kind of get hooked on that, their life can change a lot."
