Hello,

My name is James Quick, I am 38 years old and close to 3 and a half years sober and I have lived in Kings Manor Oxford House in McLean, VA since July of 2023.  While Kings Manor Oxford House is the first Oxford House I have lived in, I have also lived in Halfway houses, sober living houses and sober living programs practically all up and down the east coast.  This is my 3rd time being sober for more than  2 years and is my 5th time having gone through treatment and then living in a sober house after treatment…  basically I have lived in a lot of sober living houses…  Oxford works.  The fact that is self run by the members that live in the house makes it so unbelievably powerful…  you truly feel like you are building a foundation for yourself, because in a way, the house and how it operates successfully is up to not only you individually but also up to the other house members to stand up and support the house as a whole…  you feel like you are part of something…  there are multiple(5) officer positions through out the house that each member fulfills for 6 months.  President, Treasurer, Comptroller, Chore coordinator and Housing Services Representative…  each one of these positions, while can be somewhat demanding at times are so incredibly great for learning life skills that apply to everyday life.  You learn how to pay bills properly, you learn how to communicate, send emails, create healthy boundaries with others, how to delegate and keep others accountable…  It truly is an incredible model…  We help keep each other accountable in so many ways…  we have house meetings once a week and keep meeting minutes for every house meeting.  Every member must have a job within the first 2 weeks of moving in.  There are newcomer rules for a set period of time.  The democratic, self governing model not only works, it’s incredible and it is my opinion that more Sober livings should be run in such a way.  Do not try and fix something that doesn’t need to be fixed.

   Like I have said, I have been in many sober livings…  But Oxford is the first one where I really have truly felt a part of something.  I am paying to live here on my own.  I have a job, I pay my bills, I have an officer position within the house.  I also have a position with our Chapter, Chapter 5, which consists of 12 houses.  I am the Chapter Chair, which is a position that is held for a year.  We meet once a month, the first Thursday of the month.  I have also been the chapters secretary.  It was such a good experience.  I have been to sober livings that were incredibly expensive(thousands of dollars a month) and I have been to sober livings where it’s hundreds a month.  They do not compare to what Oxford has to offer.  Did they help me along the way, absolutely…  But Oxford is just plain and simply different and it works.  It works just the way it is.   Nothing should be changed..  It has changed so many people’s lives.  Please allow Oxford to continue operating just as it has been for the last 51 years.  It would be devastating for so many people, not only those that currently live in the houses, like myself, but also all those people’s family members.  To learn that Oxford has to shut down due to standards being changed by the government of Virginia…  It’s understandable that other sober living houses in Virginia may be having some issues, but Oxford as far as I know does not and has been working since 1975…  Why try to fix something if it’s not broken!?   I truly hope this gets resolved in the favor of Oxford of Virginia…  In the end, whatever happens, it was meant to be…  But I honestly do pray that the outcome is in the favor of Oxford to continue as it has been for decades…  Please, do what’s right for Oxford and the people that currently live in these houses…  Not to mention all the people that are to still be helped and welcomed into sobriety with open arms…

Do what’s right.

Thanks,

Jamie

Kings Manor Oxford House