Serenity Homes of Napa Valley (SHNV.org)

Is a Sober Living Home environment located right in the city of Napa. The Napa Valley has a serious shortage of affordable housing in general. The tremendous fire season in 2017 made the Serenity Homes of Napa Valley (SHNV.org)situation worse. Homeowners whose homes were badly damaged or lost to the fire snapped up all available rentals quickly and caused rental prices to skyrocket. Because of the length of time to navigate government and insurance paperwork, and then to finally rebuild, the housing shortage in Napa will continue for many years.

Johnny Apodaca is the heart and soul of SHNV. A prior addict himself, he guided 3000+ chemically dependent adults to stay sober in the 22 years he has operated SHNV. He gets to know each resident, and has run out of space on the wall behind his desk for the individual photos of his prior residents. He can point at any picture and tell you the story of that person and knows where many are now. His enthusiasm for the work he does is evident in the first few minutes you meet him. His personal satisfaction results from helping his fellow human being get to a place of restoration, regain family relationships, reunite with children, and reintegrate into society.

In 2008, when he was in danger of losing two homes to foreclosure, he staged a hunger strike for 25 days. He pitched a tent on Evans Avenue near the Silverado Trail. Supporters put donation jars near cash registers in neighborhood stores, and people stopped by to visit with him and leave donations. He raised $60,000, only stopping when his doctor said it was too dangerous to continue. Nothing can dim his enthusiasm and dedication to his focus on helping others achieve lasting sobriety. When you meet Johnny A., his confidence and open nature are readily visible. He answers any question with frank honesty. After 22 years in this rehab arena, he knows what works and what doesn’t, and he knows the stages of healing that residents must work through.

Serenity Homes of Napa Valley is a State of California & Federal Non-Profit 501(c) (3) Corporation. Johnny receives no government funds or benefits to run his Sober Living Homes. With the rents from his residents, the help of his community, and invaluable advice from his Board of Directors, he continues his full-speed-ahead approach. The need for recovery from addiction continues to grow. Johnny could fill more houses if he had them. He continues to look for donations and creative ideas from supporters. When someone decides to turn their back on substance abuse, they need a longer time to adjust than a traditional 30-day rehab. Relapse is common if people return to the same environment they lived in before treatment. Friends and old roommates can inadvertently encourage relapse because they haven’t changed their habits. It also takes time for the body to chemically adjust to the lack of harmful substances, and for the mind to replace bad habits with healthy routines. Recuperation requires a safe, supportive, drug and alcohol free environment, surrounded by others dealing with the same struggles.

Our program lasts about one year for most people, and up to 18 months for others. We provide a house, in a comfortable, safe, middle-class neighborhood. If you drive down the street our homes look like all the other well-maintained houses on the street. We have yards, garages, and back yard barbecues like all the other houses. Each of our six homes have six recovering roommates. Each resident is at a different stage of recovery. The roommate who has been in the home the longest is the house manager. We currently have four homes for male residents and two for females. The houses are fully furnished and kept immaculately clean and orderly.

When Johnny first started, some neighbors were naturally reluctant to live near his Sober Living Homes. Just the opposite is true now; neighbors know Johnny and trust his concept and his residents. Neighbors now hire Johnny’s residents to help with their own yardwork and small building projects around their homes.

All residents of SHNV must work or go to school. Our monthly rent is currently $775/month for a shared room and $850/month for private room, and we expect each resident to earn the money to pay his/her own way. This is one of the positive lessons we expect each resident to learn. The pride of earning and paying your own way in this world prepares our graduates to take their place in society standing tall.

Johnny is a licensed California contractor, and owns a for-profit construction company, Serenity Builders. He started the construction company to provide job opportunities for his residents, and that has worked very well. Serenity Builders is an easy fit for residents who have previous construction experience, or those wishing to learn new employment skills. The reputation of Serenity Builders is solid, and Johnny has a busy list of construction projects waiting to be done.

Household chores are assigned and rotated so everyone is responsible for keeping the homes clean and the yards mowed. Everyone does his/her own cooking, clean-up, and laundry. These simple tasks, along with working a job and attending required 12-step meetings, form the framework of a sober life.

We have bicycles for residents who have no vehicle or have lost their license to drive. Depending on individual circumstances, we might be able to help with the DMV paperwork to regain a license. Our houses are near downtown Napa, and within walking distance to shopping and several 12-step meetings.

The journey to sobriety is not easy, but it is attainable and well worth the effort.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit.

Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

--- Muhammad Ali