FAVOR Western Pennsylvania

When considering a member to be awarded the Non-Profit of the Month, we look for those who are dedicated to community and to the growth of our county. There was no doubt that FAVOR Western Pennsylvania met those requirements when they were chosen to be the June 2023 awardee.

FAVOR, which stands for Faces and Voices of Recovery, is located in Bolivar, PA. Though located in a smaller town, their mission is large: to help those “in recovery, seeking recovery, or those who don’t think they need recovery” be treated with dignity and respect while obtaining a pathway to work in our communities. Their goal is to help not only individuals with substance or alcohol use disorder, but their families, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances as well.

Staff and volunteers at FAVOR Western Pennsylvania have been helping the community since they opened in July of 2013. They pride themselves on eliminating the stigma so that individuals can seek help from the non-profit without feeling embarrassed. They provide a safe haven by eliminating some of the “traditional” systems of a clinical recovery program.

These include:

• No fees-everything is FREE of charge

• No forms to fill out

• No requirements to be met

• No mandatory insurance requirements

• No discharge planning

We applaud FAVOR for this mission to help individuals, but we also applaud their vision of economic development through workforce development. In November 2021, FAVOR Western PA received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Inspire Initiative, a federal government economic development partner agency. Through this grant, their Recovery to Work (R2W) program will allow more individuals to gain resources and support. Services may include:

• Employment seeking services

• Housing

• Budget planning

• Resume building

• Mock interviews

In addition, the grant will help build the FAVOR Laurel Highlands initiative, which is expected to help 170 individuals in recovery.

The ARC Federal Co-Chair, Gayle Manchin, stated it well when she said “The substance use disorder crisis isn’t only a health and family issue – it also has severe economic impacts, keeping many Appalachians from participating in the labor force and contributing to the region’s economic growth.”

She continues, “When we help individuals in recovery succeed, our communities succeed.”

Kudos to FAVOR Western Pennsylvania. We are honored to have such a dedicated and helpful organization in our Chamber of Commerce.

Our members are encouraged to check out FAVOR’s website and Facebook page. They have various events upcoming including a Jewelry Bash in July and Battle of the Bands in September. Our employers are also encouraged to complete the confidential workforce development survey in an effort to help FAVOR gain data for their programs. The survey takes less than four minutes to complete.

Look to learn more about FAVOR at the October 17th Wake Up Westmoreland. Members will be invited to their facility in Bolivar at this signature networking event.