Za'kiyah House

Recovery is stronger when care is close to home.

A new community health center is being built in Homewood to bring medical care, behavioral health support, and a pharmacy under one roof. Nearby care can mean less travel, fewer missed appointments, bus or walking access, fewer repeated stories, and an easier way to fill prescriptions.

Physical health, sleep, medication, dental pain, and blood pressure can all affect how steady someone feels in recovery. Stable, holistic housing and health care work together.

Preparing for a first appointment:
- Bring photo ID and a medication list, if available.
- Missing ID? Ask for help. Do not skip care.
- Write down your top questions.
- Bring a support person.
- Ask about sliding-scale fees and payment options.
- Ask a case manager, recovery coach, peer supporter, or housing staff member to help schedule and follow up.

Richards Place in Homewood and Donnelle Safe Haven in North Braddock are safe, substance-free homes where health care is part of the plan, not a detour from recovery.

Za’kiyah House is a community-led Pittsburgh nonprofit supporting neighbors in recovery and reentry. During National Recovery Month, we stand alongside Sojourner House and Crossroads. To people in recovery, reentry, and their loved ones: asking for support is strength.

Hours, services, insurance, and availability may vary. This is general community information, not medical, legal, or benefits advice.

Inbox The Sanctuary or Za’kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more. Please share.

Sometimes healing begins with something simple: a short walk, fresh air on your face, sunshine through the trees, or a quiet moment near the river. 🌿☀️

Time outdoors can help us slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and make space for stability and hope. At Za’kiyah House, our whole-person approach honors the body, mind, and spirit as we support each person’s recovery journey.

Through caring relationships and community connection, we’re reminded that wellness can grow in peaceful, everyday moments. We’re grateful to walk alongside community partners Sojourner House and Crossroads as we continue building pathways toward healing and recovery.

Want to participate in National Recovery Month support or learn more? Inbox Za’kiyah House: we’d love to connect. 💜

As September turns to October, recovery may feel different as the days get shorter and colder. Many people notice changes in mood, energy, and motivation during the seasonal transition. That does not mean you are failing at recovery. Seasonal mood changes are real and treatable, so tell a healthcare provider if you notice your mood dropping. Self-medicating with substances often makes the season harder, not easier.

A few practical ways to prepare:

1. Get outdoor daylight early in the day when possible, especially before the afternoon gets dark.
2. Plan connection ahead for the evenings and weekends that feel hardest. Do not wait until you feel motivated to reach out.
3. Make a cold-weather backup plan for transportation to meetings, work, and appointments. Consider cancelled rides, bad weather, and shorter daylight for walking.
4. Check in on a neighbor who may be spending more time alone. Keep warm food, a warm coat and socks, and basic heat-safety needs in mind.

If the season starts weighing on you, tell a recovery coach, peer supporter, sponsor, case manager, or housing staff member. You do not have to carry it quietly.

Richards Place in Homewood and Donnelle Safe Haven in North Braddock are safe, substance-free homes where residents are not left alone with a hard season. Staff and housemates check in, and the homes remain warm and stable through the colder months.

Za’kiyah House is a community-led Pittsburgh nonprofit supporting neighbors in recovery and reentry. We are grateful to stand with National Recovery Month partners Sojourner House and Crossroads.

Inbox The Sanctuary or Za’kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more. Please share this message with someone who may need it.

Recovery milestones deserve to be recognized, not because everything is perfect, but because you kept moving with support. 💜

Maybe you completed a program phase, reached a housing goal, reconnected with a responsibility, or marked a sustained period of support. Your milestone does not have to be public, polished, or understood by everyone else. It belongs to you.

Try a simple next-step celebration plan:
1. Name what you completed or changed.
2. Choose one safe way to acknowledge it: write it down, share with someone you trust, enjoy a meal, pray, rest, or create a small ritual.
3. Identify one realistic next step and the support that can help you take it.

Progress can be honored quietly and still be powerful. Sojourner House, Crossroads, and Za’kiyah House are proud to support community-centered recovery.

Inbox The Sanctuary or Za’kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more. 🤝🏾

Local businesses, organizations, and community supporters, we’d love to hear from you! 💜

Recovery on Frankstown is happening Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12 PM–4 PM at The Sanctuary on Frankstown. This event is free and open to everyone, and we’re exploring ways local supporters may want to contribute through sponsorship, supplies, services, or another form of support.

If your business or organization is interested in learning more or exploring how you may participate, please inbox Za’kiyah House. We’d be grateful to connect and discuss what support could look like for this community gathering.

Please share with a local business, organization, or supporter who may be interested! 💜

Wanting love, closeness, and connection in recovery does not make you weak. It makes you human.

In the early months of recovery, many people are encouraged to slow down before starting a brand-new romantic relationship, moving in together, getting married, making major money commitments, or taking on another life-changing decision. This is not meant to punish anyone or take love away. Early recovery takes a lot of energy, and too many big changes at once can make it harder to stay steady.

Try a gentle pause and check. Before deciding, ask yourself: What is pulling me toward this? How could it affect my housing, money, sleep, and support network? Then talk it through with someone safe: a recovery coach, peer supporter, sponsor, case manager, or housing staff member.

Rebuilding or ending relationships after incarceration or addiction can bring complicated feelings. Partners may not be in recovery. Family and co-parenting relationships may feel tender. You may feel guilty about time lost. There is no timeline that fits everyone, and there is no shame in asking for help before making a decision.

Residents at Richards Place in Homewood and Donnelle Safe Haven in North Braddock can talk through big decisions with caring staff instead of deciding alone.

Za’kiyah House is a community-led Pittsburgh nonprofit supporting neighbors in recovery and reentry. During National Recovery Month, we stand alongside Sojourner House and Crossroads to remind our community: slowing down is not losing time. It is protecting the progress you have already made.

Inbox The Sanctuary or Za’kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more. Please share this with someone who might need it.

Addiction is a health condition: not a moral failing, a lack of character, or simply a matter of willpower. 💜

During National Recovery Month, recovery education helps us replace shame with understanding. When we learn how addiction affects the brain, body, and whole person, we become better equipped to respond with compassion instead of judgment. That understanding can make it easier for someone to ask for help, for families to offer support, and for communities to stand beside people on their recovery journey.

At Za’kiyah House, we believe learning is empowering. We create caring spaces where people can recover, grow, and share what they have learned along the way. Together with our partners Sojourner House and Crossroads, we are committed to building a community where people are seen beyond their struggles and supported in their hope for healing. 🙏🏽

Help us end the stigma through education, empathy, and honest conversation. Inbox Za’kiyah House to participate or learn more.

🌙 Rest Is Part of Recovery

Recovery work is real work, and rest belongs inside it, not on the sidelines of it.

When sleep runs thin, everything gets harder: mood, patience, focus, and staying steady when a craving shows up. That isn't weakness. That's your body asking for something it needs.

A few gentle ideas for tonight:
• Set a "winding down" time, not just a bedtime: dim the lights, lower the volume, and put the phone on the charger across the room.
• If your mind starts listing everything at 2 a.m., write it down. You don't have to solve it tonight. You just have to set it down.
• Watch caffeine after mid-afternoon. Small change, real difference.
• If nightmares, racing thoughts, or grief keep pulling you awake, tell someone: a recovery coach, a peer supporter, or a staff member where you live. You are not being difficult, and there is support for this.

At Richards Place in Homewood and Donnelle Safe Haven in North Braddock, rest is treated as part of healing: a safe, substance-free place to lay your head, and people who check in on how you're actually doing.

You do not have to earn rest. You do not have to be "far enough" along to deserve a good night's sleep.

Za'kiyah House is a community-led Pittsburgh nonprofit walking alongside neighbors in recovery and reentry. For National Recovery Month, we're sharing one support topic every day. Sojourner House and Crossroads are Pittsburgh-area partners doing this work alongside us.

💬 Inbox The Sanctuary or Za'kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more. And if this could help someone you know, share it.

What kind of activity, conversation, or interactive moment would help you feel connected at Recovery on Frankstown? 💜

Would you enjoy a guided discussion, a creative hands-on activity, music, movement, reflection, a community game, or something completely different? We want to hear what would make the day meaningful and engaging for you.

Share your idea in the comments or inbox Za’kiyah House if you’d like to participate or help shape the conversation. No idea is too small, your voice matters!

Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12 PM–4 PM at The Sanctuary on Frankstown. Free and open to everyone.

Please share with someone who would want to be part of the conversation. 💜

Sometimes healing starts before we can find the words. 🎨🎶✍🏾

Creative expression (drawing, music, writing, journaling, poetry, or cooking) can give grief, stress, and cravings somewhere to go when talking feels hard. There is no “right” way and no talent required. Creativity is for everyone, at any point in recovery.

Try this 5-minute practice today: Set a timer for five minutes. Choose paper, a phone note, a song, or an ingredient. Respond creatively to this prompt: “What am I carrying right now, and what would help me feel one small moment of safety?” Draw lines, write without editing, hum, make a short poem, or prepare something simple. When the timer ends, pause and notice, not judge, what came up. 💜

Resource spotlight: Residents at our safe, stable, substance-free recovery homes, Richards Place in Homewood and Donnelle Safe Haven in North Braddock, can explore creative outlets as part of their healing. Creative supplies and groups are also often available at no cost through libraries and community centers.

Recovery can happen in community. Za’kiyah House is a community-led Pittsburgh nonprofit, proud to join Sojourner House and Crossroads in supporting National Recovery Month. 🤝🏾

It’s never too late to begin, and your expression does not have to be perfect to matter. Inbox The Sanctuary or Za’kiyah House to participate in National Recovery Month Daily Support or learn more, and please share this message with someone who needs a little room to breathe today. 💜