Volunteers

Her compassion for others has led her to her service with House of Hope. For the past year she has offered Healing Trauma Art workshops, to those suffering from any form of trauma. Having had personal experiences with those struggling with addiction, she has found a special place in her heart for addicts and helping them heal. She has enjoyed her time with them and loves the healing she sees taking place spiritually. Her art workshops help them to recognize the emotions connected with trauma and help them find ways to process through what they are feeling.

Growing up she moved around a lot before spending the majority of her high school and adult years in the Basin with her husband, Troy. While she shows Troy an artistic side of life, he teaches her all about technology and together they spend their free time designing stickers and shirts. Being a volunteer at Thompsen House of Hope has changed Taylor’s life and has become her favorite day of the week.

She is a self-taught painter that has been painting only a couple years. She joined the one of many volunteers at Thompsen House of Hope in hopes to share her love of art and bring a different kind of therapy to gentlemen who are trying so hard.

I enjoy making my own new recipes for foods I like. I’m a very picky eater so I learned young to make foods that I would eat. Once a month I help the guys at Thompsen House make dinner. We learn new recipes and simple do’s and don’ts when it comes to cooking. I believe that if you want to change, one needs to increase their personal skills, and with that our self confidence grows. 

I have been married to Justin Jorgensen for almost 30 years. We have 4 children and we are excited to be grandparents next spring. I have been privileged to stay home and raise my children. We owned our own trucking business for 7 years, working in the oilfield. I am an amateur photographer and writer. I’m learning how to paint with watercolors and in my spare time enjoy making greeting cards. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and consider my faith to be the foundation of my life. I wanted to work at the Thompsen House of Hope because it’s a faith based recovery program. God can make more out of our lives than we ever can, if we just turn our lives over to him.

In 2018 I started practicing again off and on and got certified to teach a modality of yoga called Buti yoga. I started teaching that for a few months until the studio I was teaching at closed.  I started a nearly daily practice again in January 2020.  Shortly after that I reconnected with Leo Thorsen and learned about Thompsen House of Hope.  In March 2020 I reached out to Leo and asked if he would be interested in having yoga classes for the men in the program.

I truly believe yoga can help our residents through their recovery, and to maintain their sobriety.  It helps by getting them out of their heads, putting the focus on breathing and moving through the poses.  It gives them an opportunity to just let go and live in that moment.  Yoga stretches the muscles, ligaments and relieves tension.  Yoga also has the ability to allow an addict to release the trauma they have experienced in life.  I’ve lost people to addiction and I have watched it tear an addict’s life apart.  I’ve seen families that truly love each other be ripped open by addiction and I have watched the pain loved ones feel as they watch alcohol and drugs steal the person they love.  I reached to Leo and asked to teach because I never want to see someone lose a life to addiction and if this one small thing that I am able to do can prevent that I will do it all day every day if I need to.

James struggled with addiction for 20 years and has now been clean for 10 years. He is passionate about helping people erase addiction and replace it with something of greater value. Their model of erase and replace is an amazing tool in changing a lifestyle from addict to athlete! He teaches life lessons on how to cope with life in a healthy fashion. This is an action based program, so be ready to work out!

He is passionate about helping people in need and serving the community. Nate is a certified DRE, Drug Recognition Expert, trained to recognize impairment in people under the influence of drugs, and alcohol. Recently, Nate received his certification as a member of the Utah Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), which is a community partnership of law enforcement officers, mental health and addiction professionals, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families and other advocates. CIT is an innovative first- responder model of police-based crisis intervention training. CIT’s help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions, obtain access to medical treatment, instead of placing them into the criminal justice system due to illness related behaviors. In 2002

Nate began attending Canyon Road Assembly of God church in Ogden Utah, and accepted Christ as his Savior; he currently attends the Roosevelt Christian Assembly Church. Nate attended Weber State University and graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Nate has been married to his wife Heather for 17 years, and together they have two children. Nate and his wife feel that they never belonged to a community like they have here in the Uintah Basin. Prior to law enforcement Nate was an Executive Chef. Cooking is his passion, second only to Ice Fishing. On his days off from the Patrol, Nate operates a Hot Dog stand and catering business.

He has served three missions for the LDS church with his wife. Together, they have 7 children – 6 boys and 1 girl. They are blessed with 26 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He enjoys volunteering as a Facilitator in the recovery home.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous has been adapted into a framework of the doctrines, principles and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In addition to this weekly meeting the Stewarts also teach a Twelve Step program at the Thompsen House of Hope on a weekly basis.

Mark and Glenda Stewart own and operate two grocery stores in eastern Utah, as well as hardware stores in Roosevelt and Herriman. The hymn “Because I Have Been Given Much” has played a huge part in their lives. They truly try to live their lives according to the words of the hymn “because I have been given much I too must give”. They demonstrate this both in their personal and professional lives.

Together they have raised their four children and now enjoy spending their time with their 13 grandchildren.

The Stewart’s understand how addiction affects the lives of individuals and families and with the help of a faith based addiction recovery program such as the Thompsen House of Hope miracles are possible, and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, lives are changed. They have seen our Father in Heaven’s tender mercies bless the lives of those who have participated in this program as they have turned their lives over to our Savior, Jesus Christ and continue living a life centered in him.

These are troubled times and the Stewart’s testify that the Addiction Recovery Program and the Thompsen House of Hope can provide its participants with a path to a Christ centered addiction free life. They feel honored and blessed to have been asked to serve at the Thompsen House of Hope and know that their lives have been impacted in a positive, beautiful way through their service.

We both grew up in Duchesne and in our family of eight, one was born in Georgia, one in Washington state, one in Salt Lake City and five were born in Roosevelt and we all graduated from Duchesne High School.

We have lived in Duchesne, Cheyenne Wyoming, Atlanta Georgia, Athens Georgia, Kennewick Washington, Tooele Utah and Kearns Utah then moving home to Duchesne again. I have worked for Strata Networks for twenty-three years and Kathy worked as a cook at Duchesne High for ten years.

In July of 2018 we accepted a missionary calling to work in the Duchesne County Jail as addiction recovery missionaries. With the Covid Pandemic we are no longer allowed to serve in the jail and I am very grateful to be able to work with this group of men at Thompsen House of Hope. I really love these men as brothers and as brothers in Jesus Christ.

I was asked about a year ago if I was willing to bring AA up to the house for the guys, and it’s been such a blessing to me. My life was a mess before I found AA and God. Today I am a satisfied customer of any recovery program. If I put in the work for my recovery like I did the game I know I’ll make it. Thank you for asking me to do this and believing in me. Much love and respect warriors!!!

One of the biggest tools in my recovery has been service, and in doing service work for others often, I have learned that one of my biggest purposes in life is to help people. Helping others find their way out of the darkness became one of my major goals in life. We started the Be the light Recovery Foundation in 2018 and I joined the board of the Thompsen House of Hope in 2019. The Thompsen home is the only facility of its kind for 120 miles in any direction, and the work that is done there helps reignite the flame in men’s souls. Watching these miracles of recovery, growth, and reintegration is a blessing and an honor. I look forward to witnessing many more miracles happen in these men’s lives.

Through the loving care of my higher power, the helping hands of a 12 step fellowship and being carried on the backs of other recovering addicts, when I did not have enough strength to stand on my own, I found my way out. June 1st 2017 is the day that I stepped into the light and started my recovery journey. Not only was I given a second chance at life and a second chance at raising my children, my highest calling was born of my greatest pain and I have used my experience to be a beacon of hope for those who must find a way out. I have strong ties to the recovery community and I have dedicated my life to the selfless service of others. I am the president of the Be The Light Recovery foundation, a 501c3 non profit organization that provides funding for those who can’t afford treatment and I am heavily involved with the Thompsen House of Hope. My fiancé sits on the board and I volunteer as an Accountability Specialist, We facilitate 12-step meetings as well. I am grateful every day to have had so many beautiful opportunities in recovery to be a part of something greater than myself and the work being done at The House of Hope is some of the most important work we will ever do. It puts us on the front lines of fighting addiction right in our own backyard and while we are working to help people change their lives they are the ones who are changing us.

It is one of my greatest joys to share the love of Jesus, to study the Bible and have great fellowship with these guys, and to see God working in their lives.

My mission here is to make real to them that there is a God who loves them with an everlasting love, and bring them into that personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dee has 25 years experience working in the transportation industry and has worked in the oil and gas industry as well.

In 2000 he became Pastor of  Roosevelt Christian Assembly church and quickly realized that you don’t just pastor a church, but a community. He has served as a Hospice Chaplain from 2013 until 2020.

 In 2017 work began on transforming the Thompsen school into a recovery home for men, and along with other members of the community, Dee has participated in helping that become a reality and continues to volunteer there as well.

Working with the people in our community has been one of his greatest joys and working with the Interfaith Council has been a great experience as well.

He holds a Master’s degree in nursing from Weber State University. Bobby currently serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for Uintah Basin Healthcare in Roosevelt, Utah.

Bobby has served as Adult Sunday School teacher at his local church for the past 20 years and brings a love of God’s word to the Recovery home.

Bobby, and his wife of 40 years, Jolyn Mecham Richardson, live in Roosevelt. They are currently the parents of 4 shaggy dogs of varying size. Their greatest joys include spoiling their 16 nieces and nephews as well as their children. Bobby and Jolyn love to enjoy the beautiful outdoor opportunities inherent to the Uintah Basin.

I have been serving at First Baptist for almost six years. I moved to Duchesne from Georgia in obedience to the call of the Lord to serve as Pastor of First Baptist Duchesne. 

My passion is preaching and teaching the Word of God and discipling those that come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am a graduate of Bethany Divinity College and Seminary, with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry. I graduated in 2010 Summa Cum Laude. I have been serving the Lord in vocational ministry since 2000.

I like to go hunting and fishing and spend time outdoors in God’s glorious creation.

He retired after 45 years in the construction and real estate business. He is active in local and state politics. Gordon is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is married with four children and 16 grandchildren.

He has been a CPA and Real Estate Broker and Developer in Roosevelt for many years. Lynn has served as an LDS missionary, as Caribbean Area Auditor, and as a Self-Reliance Missionary in Uintah Basin

In addition to his teaching assignments, he has been a seminary principal, institute of religion director, and advisor to many leadership councils. 

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree (1979) from Southern Utah University (SUU) with a teaching certificate in Business Education with minors in Marketing and Languages (Portuguese/Spanish). He graduated with his Master of Education degree/Secondary School Administration (1981) from Brigham Young University (BYU). In addition to his career in religious education, he was a motivational speaker and session director for 23 years on major university and college campuses around the nation for Brigham Young University – Especially for Youth (EFY). He is the author of eight different chapters in EFY books. He has also spoken at many BYU Youth Outreach, Know Your Religion programs, and church groups.

Gary, or “The Bro”, as he is affectionately called by his students, colleagues and friends, recently completed a two-year Church Service Mission with his wife, Christine, in the LDS Addiction Recovery Program – Spouse and Family Support, where they served as the group leaders of the Duchesne County Utah area. This assignment has helped them continue to heal from the alcohol addiction and suicide of their son, Jeremy, in March of 2016. 

He is involved in the local Roosevelt community as the “voice of the Union Cougars” as announcer of the Union Boys Football and Basketball teams finishing his 17th and 16th year, respectively. 

Gary has seven children and 25 grandchildren and resides in Roosevelt, UT.

After 4 years she was made Director for the center. For the last 11 years, she has worked closely with the state involved with licensing and certifications. Jessica serves as Chair for the Tri-County area Department of Health System of Care. Jessica cares deeply about the addiction problem in our community and has volunteered to help with state licensing requirements.

Our Community Health Needs Assessments have consistently ranked alcohol abuse and drug use in the top three health concerns for our community. We believe in partnering with those who are genuinely trying to make a difference. We all have talents to offer, and God gave us those talents to share with others. Our goal is to use marketing tools to increase awareness for those seeking recovery, and to grow contributions to sustain this volunteer-based, non-profit foundation.