Three local organizations teamed up to donate $1,000 to the Evergreen House, a sober home for men, many of whom would otherwise be homeless. 

Members of the American Legion, the Wareham-New Bedford Elks Lodge, and the Catholic League of Foresters visited the Evergreen House’s Depot Street location on Oct. 19 to present the donation.

“One does some, more can do more,” said Bob Powilatis, who is part of the leadership of all three organizations.

The Evergreen House, which has two locations in Wareham, provides housing for up to 24 men. The program aims to support men through early sobriety, provide residential stability, increase their life skills, and help them increase their income and prepare them for a successful return to the community.

Harry Flaxman, a veteran, has been living at the Evergreen House for three years now. 

“This house and the people in it saved my life,” Flaxman said. “I don’t see how I would have made it without this kind of support.”

Flaxman said that he has struggled with alcohol for years, since his time in the service. After his wife passed away, his drinking got worse, and he decided to make a change.

“I thank god,” he said. “Sometimes the lessons are harder than others, but that’s life.” 

He said he is sometimes moved to tears because he is so grateful that he was able to come to the program. Flaxman is one of more than 1,500 men who have spent time at Evergreen House over the years.

To support residents, the Evergreen House partners with other agencies to help men access healthcare, mental health counseling, employment assistance, and transportation. 

“The big thing is the recovery, and a lot of it is self-determination,” said Dan Silveira, the president of the Evergreen House board.

Silveira said that the length of the mens’ stay varies based on their needs.

“They have to be accountable to themselves,” Silveira said. “We have the structure.”

Nine of the beds are designated for the homeless, and are free of charge. The rest require a “very economic” rent payment, said Peter McCarthy, the director of the Evergreen House and a licensed drug and alcohol counselor.

“It’s a working house, so we try to get the guys back in the community, employed, and in the recovery community,” McCarthy explained. 

The Evergreen House’s 2875 Cranberry Highway location, at the corner of Depot Street, is a 260-year-old building that is receiving some much-needed upgrades, and the House recently purchased a van to help bring men to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and on other outings. 

For more information, or to donate to support the Evergreen House, go to www.evergreenhouseinc.org, call 508-291-6244, or send a donation to P.O. Box 192, East Wareham, MA.