Sober Living East opened in 2017 and rapidly developed a reputation as one of Los Angeles’ preeminent sober living homes.

Co-founder and program director Derek Eckley struggled for years to overcome his substance use disorder. Even after attending 18 treatment centers.

Derek found it difficult to stay sober longer than a few weeks. After having nearly lost all hope, he moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles, where he entered an all-male structured sober living home. There, he developed the foundation for recovery that keeps him sober today. He now works to share the lessons he learned with young men who are struggling on the same path.

Derek recognizes that rebuilding a fulfilling life in sobriety requires more than just removing drugs and alcohol from the picture. He works one-on-one with men who struggle with mental health and addiction, helping them get through the challenges and obstacles of early recovery, including learning how to budget, healing broken relationships with family members and loved ones, and developing new career goals.

Derek credits his sobriety to his experience in a structured sober living home, as well as continued involvement in a 12-step program. He affirms the values of accountability, discipline, integrity, and responsibility. Above all, he adheres to the philosophy that recovery is never a given — it is a path that is progressed one day at a time.

Mauriceo made a firm decision a year and a half ago to change his life. He was confident in a better tomorrow and finding a happiness that had eluded him, if he could only conquer the addiction that left him homeless and living in his brother’s car in Riverside, Ca.

For the first time in his life, he discovered the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. More specifically, he encountered warmth, connection, and sense of belonging that drugs and alcohol could never provide. “I was just so surprised at how happy everyone was,” he said.

The trajectory of Mauricio’s life was forever altered. Today, he guides men at Sober Living East through a journey he knows all too well. He is a mentor and positive example to many–the same way the men and women of AA were to him in the early days of his recovery. His future plans in recovery include a career in advertising or business administration, with a continued devotion to service and lending a helping hand to the addict who still suffers.

Dakota admits to feeling utterly defeated by his addiction when he came to Sober Living East as a client. He experienced a gauntlet of setbacks–from homelessness and incarceration to relapse after relapse. He has tragically lost friends to addiction along the way.

Through it all, Dakota never lost hope that he could author a brighter ending to his story in recovery. He credits his willingness to do whatever it takes to get clean and sober with saving his life. He acknowledges he burned a lot of bridges along the way, but Sober Living East gave him the guidance he needed to turn his life around.

Dakota tries to guide men today at Sober Living East toward a better life. He passes along to them what worked for him–like regular attendance at 12-Step meetings, consistent work with a sponsor, and service to others. He stays in the work to stay clean and sober, a message he instills in others in recovery.

He lives one day at a time, with an eye toward a brighter future and someday returning to school. Dakota is a good example that, when all seems lost, sometimes a little hope and willingness can lead us to greener pastures.

For the first time in his life, he discovered the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. More specifically, he encountered warmth, connection, and sense of belonging that drugs and alcohol could never provide. “I was just so surprised at how happy everyone was,” he said.

The trajectory of Mauricio’s life was forever altered. Today, he guides men at Sober Living East through a journey he knows all too well. He is a mentor and positive example to many–the same way the men and women of AA were to him in the early days of his recovery. His future plans in recovery include a career in advertising or business administration, with a continued devotion to service and lending a helping hand to the addict who still suffers.

Ryan Kling took a roundabout path to get to where he is today, with a little more than three years clean and sober. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ryan spent 16 years of his life in and out of various treatment centers–from wilderness retreats in Utah to rehabs in Oregon.

He credits Sober Living East with instilling in him the tools necessary to live a productive life in long-term sobriety. He learned invaluable life skills like proper budgeting, effective time management, and being of service to others. Today, he sponsors three men and regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the Los Angeles Area.

Ryan is a shining example that no matter how bumpy the road or where life takes us, hope is never lost. Every failure is an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. Ryan works hard every day to pass this wisdom along to other young men at Sober Living East.