Story by Seth Terrell Photos by David Moore
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ixteen years ago, Eddie Wilson had a realization: he was tired of fighting, tired of the chaos that had taken over in his world. He had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions and knew his life had become unmanageable. Now, as the old journey came to its unraveling point, a new journey was about to begin. Eddie committed himself to recovery and found the place that would give him a new lease on life – along with a calling to help other young men whose dead-end journeys had led them to rock bottom. The place was the Foundry, a ministry begun in Bessemer by Sam Reynolds who, in 1971, after realizing there were few resources for people living in homelessness and addiction, started reaching out to folks that needed help to recover from addiction and to rebuild their lives. When Eddie graduated from the program in 2006, he devoted himself not only to his own recovery but went in search of the deeper purpose that had led him to the Foundry farm just outside of Holly Pond where he is now the director. “The Foundry has taught me that life is about my calling,” Eddie says. He sits at his desk at the Foundry farm welcome center where, though 16 years clean and sober, he has become a jack of all trades – a mentor, a manager, a tractor driver, a gardener, a farmer and a friend to so many men who come through the Foundry doors. Eddie has served as director since 2013. Originally from Hartselle, he married his wife Ellen on his 50th birthday and has dedicated his life to serving those men in whom he often sees himself. “We do recover,” he says, emphasizing that first-person plural – we – “and it’s a process.” As Eddie is often reminded, addiction is no respecter of individuals or status. The Foundry accepts men from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, men who’ve never had a job, and others who are barely out of high school. “I get to see men come, and a few months later they see their purpose,” he says. “And that is truly the most rewarding part of the recovery program.”
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utside Eddie’s office window, the
FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL 2022
Foundry Farm Days here are filled with recovery efforts for men, work, preparation for gainful employment and exposure to the Word
lazy morning sun illuminates the property, glancing on a tranquil pond and spanning over the green expanse of gentle sloping hills. “We can’t do anything we do without love,” he says. “I always remind the guys that they have a calling, not just a job.” The Foundry receives men in recovery, serving a population who are at highrisk for overdose, Hepatitis C, HIV and
incarceration. Their education levels vary and many have struggled or are struggling with homelessness, coming from low- and moderate-income households, lacking job skills. According to its mission, the Foundry offers such men a long-term approach to recovery and addresses each individual’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs to achieve permanent,
