A short distance after Park Road turns from smooth asphalt to gravel is an area where the sounds of busy suburban life don't reach, yet it's not far from downtown Lexington. 

There's a basketball court available to the public, a pavillion with picnic benches and a large expanse of grassy areas upon which a gray house sits with both a ramp and stairs to the front door. 

And the reasons one might visit this house, known as The Courage Center, vary, but burgeon from the same need: support. 

The first Recovery Community Organization in the Midlands of South Carolina that supports all ages journeying to recovery from substance misuse as well as supports families of those struggling with substance use, according to its website, The Courage Center has a variety of free resources helpful across a variety of recovery methods. 

Located at 860 Park Rd. in Lexington, this is one of three offices in South Carolina. The others are at 1535-D Broad River Rd. in Columbia and 950 Holly St. in Orangeburg.

The Courage Center has nearly 20 peer support specialists.

"By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support specialists help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves," according to the website.

On one wall in the Lexinton location are 13 paintings, each painted by the mother of one of the peer support specialists.

"My son overdosed 14 times, but after the 13th overdose," a canvas on the wall reads, "I gave up and accepted he would die. Through the tears and pain of each overdose, I prayed, hoped, and painted. My son's journey with addiction and substance use disorder has been a long one, and these paintings spoke when I had no words or tears left in me." 

One of the many goals of The Courage Center, according to Dr. Pam Imm, is to encourage the language of recovery. 

With that, they use "substance misuse," and not "substance abuse," among other slight changes in terminology meant to provide additional support along journeys to recovery.

And the term, "overdose," has evolved in meaning as well. 

"When I was growing up, overdose was always you die, but it's not like that anymore," Imm said. That's where use of terms such as non-fatal and fatal overdoes come in. 

The Courage Center is often the next step after a local person visits the hospital with substance-related ailments. Imm says the center aims to provide a welcoming environment to everyone who visits, and that visitors come from a variety of backgrounds. 

"People come in here from Yale and jail," Imm said, noting that substance misuse can happen to any one, and while substance availability plays a huge factor, one's genetics could, too. It's why medical professionals ask if any family members have dealt with substance misuse. 

The Courage Center supports visitors in journeys to recovery that don't look the same for every one. 

They support 12-step programs such as Alocholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, faith-based approaches, use of a licensed therapist, peer support approaches, medicated assisted recovery and more.

More information on what's offered can be found at https://www.couragecentersc.org/, but one thing that Imm strongly emphasized to the Chronicle is that visitors can come just to grab free harm reduction products, even if they're not ready to meet a Courage Center official. 

They offer free Narcan/Naloxone, pill disolver and Fentanyl test strips.  

"This is the idea that if people are gonna use drugs, and they are,what can we do to make sure they don't die," Imm said.

Call 803-369-3905 or visit https://www.couragecentersc.org/ for more information.