TROSA’s lots offer Christmas trees for a cause


Years of success for Holidays by TROSA have encouraged the Durham nonprofit to expand this year’s offering of holiday trees, as this year a ninth location has been added at 3500 N Roxboro St.

The day before the tree yard at the Streets at South Point welcomed it firsts guests, Christopher DeLuca and Joshua Hunter work to put the final touches on the lot. Staff photo by Zack Newbauer

The day before the tree yard at the Streets at South Point welcomed it firsts guests, Christopher DeLuca and Joshua Hunter work to put the final touches on the lot. Staff photo by Zack Newbauer

TROSA—Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.—is a two-year residential substance abuse recovery program that offers vocational training for its 505 residents as a component of its recovery model. Every year the nonprofit opens holiday tree lots in the Triangle area, and the proceeds are funneled back into TROSA.

“Tree lots has been a really great fundraiser for TROSA that’s grown a lot throughout the years,” said Jeff Stern, TROSA’s director of business operations, as the lots enter their fourteenth year. “I think the first year they bought 100 trees and maybe sold like 15 or 20 of them, but over the years it’s really grown.”

In addition to the seasonal tree lots, which opened the week of Thanksgiving, TROSA operates a moving company, lawn care services and two thrift stores in Durham. Stern said over half of the funds fueling TROSA come directly from these businesses, all of which employ program participants.

Stern said having TROSA residents work the Christmas tree lots and other TROSA businesses is an important part of helping them through recovery.

“We are zoned as an educational facility because that is what we’re really doing,” Stern said. “The motto here is ‘each one teach one’ … So there’s the vocational training aspect, then there’s the learning to express your feelings healthily aspect.”

Arman Imani, who is eight months into TROSA’s two-year program, said he is thankful to have found a structured environment with such high expectations of each resident.

Arman Imani brings his dorm room to the standards that TROSA sets by quickly aligning shoes beneath his bed. Staff photo by Zack Newbauer

Arman Imani brings his dorm room to the standards that TROSA sets by quickly aligning shoes beneath his bed. Staff photo by Zack Newbauer

“I see why they do it; it makes sense,” Imani said. “But it’s still really hard. Especially for a lot of addicts who don’t have a lot of structure …. You come here where you work all the time and you don’t have a lot of personal freedom—which can be hard—but that’s the whole point of it.”

He said the program is rigorous and requires participants to work a full-time job, attend evening activity sessions, and even follow standards for room cleanliness. As they complete steps in the program, residents also graduate to more desirable housing options—from shared dorms to an apartment.

Three-year TROSA resident Timothy Miller said he gave up his opportunity to move into an apartment in order to move back to the dorms so he could serve as an intern crew leader. He said his responsibilities as crew leader led him to pursue a certification in substance abuse counseling.

“It changed my future,” Miller said. “All the plans I had set for myself – it switched everything around. Because when I first came in here I wasn’t a person who cared too much about others. I was just selfish.”

Stern said TROSA meets each resident with a holistic, therapeutic approach. With vocational training as the cornerstone, each resident also receives individually tailored treatment.

“TROSA will give you the tools, give you all the knowledge,” Miller said. “I had a lifestyle with no discipline, no rules, no guidelines, just kind of a free fall. Coming here, that’s just not what you’re gonna get. And I needed that.”

Miller said TROSA helped him take control of his life, and believes it can do the same for others struggling with addiction.

“You do have a chance to change,” he said. “You can do better. If you are sick and tired of your life being how it is, you can do something about it.”

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