Berks residents applaud county officials for funding recovery services

With tears streaming down her face, Jacqueline Ellison struggled to find the words to share the story of her battle with addiction.

The 53-year-old said her life was derailed when the father of her child tragically passed away 30 years ago. Unable to find her way through the immense sorrow of his death, she turned to drugs as a way to cope with the loss.

“I was looking for ways to stop using, but nothing worked,” she said.

That changed this summer when she entered the transitional housing program at YMCA of Reading & Berks County, which provides recovery services at its facility in Reading.

“It is a place of hope,” she said. “It has saved my life because I know that without it I would have ended up on the streets.”

Ellison said she is in a much better place these days.

She attends narcotics anonymous meetings once or twice a day to help her stay on the path of recovery, finds comfort at the housing program knowing there are always people there willing to listen and has discovered there is a way out of the darkness.

Ellison was one of several Berks residents recovering from substance abuse who took time to attend the county commissioners meeting on Thursday to thank them for the financial support that has played a significant role in helping more than 30,000 county residents who are in recovery.

Each September, timed to coincide with National Recovery Month, people in recovery visit the commissioners to share stories that underscore how each person battling addiction is unique and to stress the impact that county-supported services have played in their journey toward sobriety.

The county gave the Berks County Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) nearly $7.7 million to fund programs in 2026. And in the opinion of those at the meeting, that money is a worthwhile investment.

Yvonne Stroman, the community programs specialist for COCA, said when individuals struggling with substance abuse are given access to effective treatment, compassionate support and opportunities for reintegration they can thrive.

“Behind every program that you fund, every service you support and resource you make available there is a person and when that person reaches out what we do as a community matters,” she told the commissioners.

Stroman said hearing stories of success like the one McLaughlin shared is an important part of celebrating National Recovery Month. She said these stories raise awareness that recovery is real, recovery is possible and recovery happens in Berks County.

“This is why your investment is so important,” she said. “When county leaders support treatment and recovery, you are not simply supporting a line item in a budget. You are investing in people, you are investing in families, you are investing in safer and healthier communities.”

Stroman noted that many of the people the county invests in often end up paying it forward to others in need.

Chris McLaughlin is one of those examples.

After spending 25 years in and out of the prison system for issues related to his substance abuse, he made the decision three years ago to get the help he needed.

McLaughlin enrolled in programs offered through the Berks County Drug Treatment Court, which provide resources to eligible participants that open doors to treatment and rehabilitation as people prepare to return to the community.

He said one of the resources that helped him build a new life was Connection Work’s R3 program, which offers people reentering the community from prison training in building trades. He graduated from the program in May 2025 and was hired just three days later.

McLaughlin is still holding that position, has secured stable housing and has completed training to become a certified recovery specialist.

And he remains deeply involved with Connections Work, volunteering his time by speaking to those now enrolled in the R3 program, serving as a mock interviewer and encouraging new participants on their own journeys.

“I want to help people who are like me get the help they need to build a better future,” he said. “It gave me hope seeing that there were people who actually cared about me and I want to do the same thing for others.”

McLaughlin said the financial support the commissioners provide for resources like the R3 program is greatly appreciated and has the potential to change outcomes.

“People like me can come up from the trenches and build a better life,” he said.