Thanks to your nominations, TROSA is now on the ballot for the INDY Week's Best of Durham County awards! What does this mean? It means that now thru June 11th, people can vote for TROSA in the categories below at https://vote.indyweek.com/ Find TROSA nominated in the following categories: ✨ Best Landscaper in Durham County ✨ Best Vintage Store in Durham County 💜 Best Nonprofit in Durham County Being nominated for awards such as these helps others learn about TROSA and our nonprofit treatment program, and our services to the Durham and greater Triangle communities. Thank you for your continued support! (fb)

“Staff encouraged me to be myself,” shares TROSA resident Matt. “I dropped my emotional ‘mask’ at the doors of TROSA and haven’t looked back” TROSA is a multi-year residential treatment program where individuals can learn new life skills for recovery, connect with peers and mentors, and develop and nurture strengths and talents, including artistic talents. We have amazingly creative residents who share their talents with our campus. Today, we’d like to spotlight TROSA resident Matt and his artistic creation, named “WinsTIN”! Matt shares, “I was given the opportunity to express myself artistically. Through designing t-shirts for my peers, posters for TROSA special events, designing and editing our TROSA Triad Itinerary, and countless paintings and sculptures I’ve completed, I’ve really come into my own over these last two years.” Matt currently assists our TROSA Thrift Store in Winston-Salem. We opened our Winston-Salem campus and TROSA Thrift Store Winston-Salem in 2023. “I really enjoy the camaraderie amongst the residents at the thrift store. Also, we are new to the Winston-Salem area and I feel we have done an outstanding job setting the tone and the reputation of Winston-Salem’s best thrift store. We love our customers and they love us! “The sculptures I’ve made and sold here were met with astounding feedback from the residents, staff, and especially the customers. I will be forever grateful for our wonderful Store Manager [and TROSA graduate] Angela, who saw potential in me and supported me in everything I’ve done here.” With the encouragement from his staff manager Angela, Matt created a delightful sculpture he named WinsTIN, which greets customers at our TROSA Thrift Store Winston-Salem. We asked Matt to share more about his sculpture: “WinsTIN is a crowd favorite. I would say painting is my first love, but I have been able to explore the endless possibilities of upcycled and recycled materials. He is made from reused aluminum, steel, and a few bolts and screws and, yes, he has a working clock. "I’m a big advocate for recycling and reuse at all costs and I wanted to create something that would make us stand out as a thrift store. Can you call yourself a real thrift store without some type of oddity on display? Total working time to create was a month. WinsTin stands independently at 6 feet 9 inches in a classic yoga Tree Pose. Because I, like WinsTIN, have found a heart and are taking a holistic stance that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit." [A note that WinsTIN is a part of the thrift store team and is *not* for sale!] Matt first heard about TROSA from his father, who researched long-term treatment options. “This was the best avenue for me. I needed a long-term treatment option for substance abuse. TROSA offered me zero-cost treatment in a safe environment…absolute lifesaver.” As part of our comprehensive residential treatment program, residents are placed in community assignments throughout our campuses and participate in daily therapeutic activities, counseling, and classes. Matt shares that the class he found most useful has been “Wellness, Recovery, and Relapse Prevention. “I learned to identify the thoughts and behaviors that ultimately lead to a relapse, establish healthy habits, and have a progressive plan in place for continued recovery.” As Matt approaches 21 months at TROSA and prepares for his program graduation, his community assignment will be to search for and secure a job with a local employer, while continuing to receive TROSA’s cost-free residential services. Matt shares that he plans to continue his art passions and hopes to get acquainted with the Winston-Salem art community. If you find yourself in Winston-Salem, stop by our thrift store to view his creation, WinsTIN, and be on the lookout for future artistic creations from Matt! (fb)