Approximately every eight seconds a person lost their life to addiction in 2017, according to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Stories of the increasing population of people with addiction sometimes carry a similar start: getting involved with drugs as a teenager, skipping school, losing sight of studies, sports, friends or family.

“It was a very dark time,” One former addict, Michael, said in a testimonial video. “I had nothing to my name. I was breaking into houses, committing robberies.”

But some also have similar endings such as coming to a Renton treatment facility to seek spiritual recovery to their addictions.

Seattle Metro Campus, in Renton, is part of a larger organization, Adult and Teen Challenge, that creates faith-based recovery programs for drug and alcohol addiction.

The Renton campus is for men, but the Northwest branch of the organization also has programs for women.

Mikia Guy is the Development Coordinator for the Seattle Metro Campus. She said men, ages 18 to 65, come to the location to seek treatment for various addictions, substance abuse or mental health concerns that require them to take some time away from the world.

Guy said their motto is to put hope within reach, for everyone impacted by addiction.

The center is a discipleship, where they spend one or two years there until they’re ready to reenter society, Guy said. The campus can hold 15 men at a time. Some have their own rooms at interim status, and move on to sharing a bunk with another man in the facility.

Almost half of the funding is provided by the men working during their stay. Forty-seven percent of funding is through earned income at vocational training at the program, where the men go out and work and give the money to the center.

The other 53 percent is from donations, which includes friends, family and monies from the annual Hope Gala.

The Hope Gala is a yearly event. In previous years it was called a banquet, Guy said.

“It’s the biggest event we have to bring in funds so we can continue to house the men,” she said. “They live there, sleep there, do everything there. It’s our effort to make it so we don’t have to turn anyone away.”

The gala is June 22 at Renton Pavilion Events Center, and will feature testimonials from men who’ve attended, music, Rain City Catering and live and silent auctions.

More information is available at Seattle-Gala.tcpnw.com.