Help Us Build The Sovereign Recovery Community

Campaign Introduction

My name is Michael Satterfield, and I’m the founder of The Sovereign Recovery Community, a nonprofit project rooted in lived experience, radical compassion, and transformative justice. As someone who has survived incarceration, addiction, homelessness, trauma, and has gone on to earn my master’s in social work, become a father, and serve others in crisis as a clinician. I know the value of Recovery and how much it can empower individuals to live their lives to their utmost potential.

Now, I need your help to build something lasting for others like me.

About the Project: The Sovereign Recovery Community

Location: New Jersey

️ Legal Structure: Nonprofit 501(c)(3) pending incorporation

Our Mission

The Sovereign Recovery Community exists to provide sustainable, dignified housing and holistic recovery support for individuals living with mental health or substance use diagnoses who have experienced incarceration or long-term housing instability (3+ years).

This will be an LGBTQ+ friendly community grounded in mutual aid, healing justice, and lived experience, with a vision of empowering individuals to reclaim stability and sovereignty over their lives.

What We're Building

We are developing a transformational housing model designed by and for people who know the struggle firsthand. Our pilot site will include:

• Permanent Housing for LGBTQ+ individuals impacted by incarceration, homelessness, and behavioral health challenges

• A Community Center with:

o Peer-led recovery and wellness services

o A communal kitchen and shared meals

o Therapeutic workshops, organizing space, and mutual aid programs

• ️ Five attached 4-bedroom apartments for transitional or multi-generational households, including live-in staff

• ❤️‍ Onsite, trauma-informed services focused on:

o Harm reduction

o Mental health recovery

o Peer support

o Reentry navigation

o LGBTQ+ affirming healing work

Core Principles

• Sustainability: Solar energy, ecological building, gardens, and food justice

• Mutual Aid: Resident leadership in governance and daily operations

• Peer Recovery: Culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and non-coercive care

• Justice-Centered: Prioritizing LGBTQ+ individuals and those most marginalized by systemic violence

Why This Matters (And Why I'm Doing It)

At 21, I was arrested for armed robberies—my life had been `shattered by addiction, trauma, and hopelessness. I was homeless, deep in substance use, and had no future. But in prison, I discovered education. I earned my GED, became a tutor, and began college. Through NJ-STEP, Rutgers, and years of unrelenting work, I graduated with honors, earned my MSW, and became a Crisis Professional at a Hospital.

Even with all that, the stigma of incarceration and recovery never left. I’ve faced housing instability, discrimination, and enormous personal loss, including the death of my brother to overdose, and the collapse of my family during a violent divorce. And still, I never gave up.

I’ve worked for 8 years in this field, while raising three sons, and now I’m building the kind of community I wish had existed when I needed it most.

Leadership Team

This project isn’t just mine. It’s led by people who understand recovery and reentry from all angles:

• Michael Satterfield, MSW – Director of Program Development

• Rosalind Johnson, NCPRSS – Director of Community Development

Together, we bring decades of experience in mental health services, peer support, housing navigation, and grassroots organizing.

Phase 1 Fundraising Goal: $6,750

We’re raising seed funding to legally incorporate and launch the foundation of the nonprofit. Your donation will directly support:

Expense Amount

Legal Fees (Incorporation, 501(c)(3), State Charitable Registration) $2,000

Outreach Materials, Branding, Website $750

Grant Writing, Licensing, & Fundraising Setup $2,200

Board Development & Governance $500

Community Info Sessions & Launch Events $550

TOTAL NEEDED FOR PHASE 1 $7,750

This will allow us to apply for grants, secure land, establish partnerships, and begin building a long-term, sustainable model. All money that is not used directly for Phase 1 at its conclusion will be used for Phase 2.

What’s Next

Once Phase 1 is complete, we will:

• Apply for land through NJ land banks and city redevelopment programs

• Collaborate with architects to design sustainable, accessible homes

• Pursue major funding from:

o Victoria Foundation

o Dodge Foundation

o NJ Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency

o Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

• Build the community center and the first two community farm-houses

• Launch programs and peer-led services

We’ll also deepen partnerships with:

• Reentry support organizations

• LGBTQ+ mental health providers

• Faith-based housing advocates

• Sustainable design networks

How You Can Help

1. Donate – No gift is too small. Your support helps us lay the first bricks.

2. Share – Spread the word with your friends, networks, and social media communities.

3. Connect – If you know someone in city planning, philanthropy, housing, or government—send them our way.

Closing Words

This isn’t just a nonprofit. It’s a vision of what healing and justice look like when led by those who’ve lived through the fire and come out the other side.

Everyone deserves safe housing. Everyone deserves dignity. Everyone deserves community.

Let’s build it together.

Sincerely,

Michael Satterfield, MSW

Founder & Director of Program Development, The Sovereign Recovery Community