Independence Lodge Review
Located northeast of Philadelphia and very close to the border of New Jersey in Croydon, Pennsylvania, Independence Lodge is an organization that operates two highly structured, all-male sober living houses. Founded in 2012 by CEO Bryan Kennedy, who sports long-term sobriety and a passion for helping men new to recovery, Independence Lodge offers clients a safe environment with an emphasis on developing responsibility and utilizing the 12 steps.
Accommodations and Amenities
Independence Lodge accommodates a total of 24 men, with clients sharing comfortably furnished double-occupancy rooms. The cottages on Garfield Street and on Dixon Avenue are approximately 300 yards apart from each other. Houses include bathrooms, fully-equipped kitchens and one has a spacious backyard where residents congregate by an open pit fire during a Tuesday night meeting. Besides room and board, all utilities are included in addition to Wi-Fi.
The cost is $175 per week, not including a $95 entrance fee. Typically, house residents pay rent on Fridays, and some of the money goes to the house manager who uses those funds and purchases groceries, including staples laundry detergent and coffee for the house. Clients prepare their own breakfasts and lunches, but dinners are a family-style affair. Taco Tuesdays are a favorite with the guys.
Rules and Regulations
The average length of stay for a resident at Independence Lodge is typically between six and eight months. During the first 30 days, clients must attend 30 AA/NA meetings and have cards signed by the meeting’s secretary showing proof of attendance.
After 30 days, residents maintain a steady meeting schedule. Independence Lodge promotes the belief that by attending meetings on a regular basis, clients become more comfortable and honest while sharing, thus allowing room for self-healing and growth. There are mandatory meetings including a Monday night Big Book Study at a local church and the Tuesday house meeting around the open pit fire. The curfew is midnight from Sundays to Thursday, and 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Other requirements include doing household chores, looking for work, paying the rent, making the beds, staying clean and sober, plus staying clear of intimate relationships.
Extras
Independence Lodge offers an additional alumni sober house, for men who have successfully competed a stay at one of the other residences. The less-structured house allows men affordable living while they work and go to school in a family-style environment. Length of stay ranges, and some men have lived there for up to two years.
In Summary
The cozy cottages of Independence Lodge have a sense of camaraderie that seems like a sober fraternity house. Those opposed to the 12-step approach and prefer independence in recovery may want to look elsewhere. When guys move into one of the houses, they are joining a tight community of sober brothers.
Independence Lodge Locations
Independence Lodge
2134 Dixon Ave
Croydon, PA 19021
Independence Lodge
1911 Garfield St
Croydon, PA 19021
Independence Lodge Cost
$700 (30 days, room and board); $95 (one time admission fee). Reach Independence Lodge by phone at (610) 333-0511 or by email at info@independencerecovery.com. Find Independence Lodge on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram
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