Empowering Recovery and Transformation: Discover Foundations to Freedom
Foundations' mission is to provide individuals seeking recovery from substance abuse disorders with a safe, structured, and supportive home-like environment that fosters recovery, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Foundations' goal is to help each and every client reclaim their dignity and acquire the knowledge, skills, support, and resources they will need to maintain a drug free, purposeful, and productive life. As a community-based non-profit, Foundations' commitment is to extend a helping hand to every qualified applicant who sincerely desires recovery.
Our Founder's Journey: A Personal Commitment to Change
At the heart of Foundations To Freedom is the story of our founder, Katherine Russell. Katherine's own journey from a life-altering car accident to triumph over addiction fuels our mission. As the Executive Director, Katherine's profound understanding of the recovery process shapes the very essence of our approach.
Our Vision: Beyond Sobriety, Towards Empowerment
We believe that true recovery encompasses more than abstaining from substances; it's about reclaiming your sense of self, discovering resilience, and fostering personal growth. Our comprehensive programs offer not only a roadmap to sobriety but also the tools, resources, and steadfast support needed.
A Compassionate Team: Guiding You Every Step of the Way
At Foundations To Freedom, our team is a family of compassionate professionals who understand the complexities of substance use disorder. With experienced therapists, dedicated case managers, and empathetic staff, we stand beside you, drawing from our own journeys to provide unwavering guidance.
Working together with the best companies for our sober houses!
How It Started
My name is Katherine Russell and I am the Executive Director and founder of Foundations To Freedom. I am also a recovering addict.
Opening sober living homes has been a long-time dream of mine as I want to give back and help other addicts get what was so freely given to me.
I slipped into the disease of addiction late in life at the age of 28, by getting into a horrible car accident in August 2008 where I flipped a vehicle 9 times on the highway after a work van lost its ladder.
After I woke up in the hospital, spending several months in a coma and many surgeries. I had 3 brain surgeries, spinal surgery, foot reconstruction surgery and I broke almost every bone on my right side. When I woke up, I had no idea how much this accident was about to completely change my life.
Foundations To Freedom's halfway houses are beacons of hope, guiding individuals towards a new chapter of liberation and self-discovery. By empowering residents with compassion, resilience, and strength, we create a nurturing environment for recovery and personal growth.
Meet Our Compassionate Team
Discover the dedicated professionals who form the heart and soul of Foundations To Freedom. Our compassionate team is here to provide unwavering support and guidance as you embark on your transformative journey towards lasting recovery and personal growth.
Katherine Russell
Executive Director
Liz Peterson
chief operating officer
Ginny LaRue
Director of Program Development
Mary Thierry
Executive Assistant / CRRA
Barb Girtman
Community Liaison
Stacy Jackson
Women's Program Director
William Doran
Men’s Program Director
Michelle Wilson
Program Coordinator
Amber White
Women’s Case Manager
Aubrey Willett
Women’s Case Manager
Melissa Bell
Men’s Case Manager
Les Nelson
Men’s Case Manager
Mike Rodriguez
Men’s Case Manager
Angela Fejfar
Senior Staff Accountant
Official Certifications and Accreditations By
Florida Association of Recovery Residences
The Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR) was established in 2011 to evaluate and oversee standards-based recovery support services offered in community-based residential settings across Florida. FARR ensures that recovery residences are well-maintained.
National Alliance for Recovery Residences
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the accessibility of high-quality, ethical, and supportive recovery housing. NARR has established the most widely recognized national standard for sober living and recovery residences.