Charles Mancuso and Bradford Paige
Jan. 21, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET
A recent report from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute noted that nearly 1 in 10 New Hampshire residents struggled with a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2024. This includes the use of selected substances, including alcohol, tobacco products, illicit drugs, inhalants, and other substances. And while people who have lower incomes are overrepresented, SUD affects people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.
On a positive note, drug-related deaths in New Hampshire fell by approximately 33% in 2024 compared to 2023, the sharpest decrease in over a decade, which the NHFPI report attributes to “a continued investment in substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services, particularly increases in prevention strategies and harm reduction services.”
Confronting and addressing substance use in our communities is a difficult conversation, fraught with varying perspectives, opinions and emotions. For some, it’s intensely personal – you may have lived experience through your own journey with substance use, or through the experience of a loved one, friend or colleague. Or perhaps you are an advocate who supports the recovery community, driven by the recognition that substance use affects all of us in some way. Or maybe you’re one of the few among us who have not knowingly experienced the many facets and complexities associated with living with a substance use issue, whether your own or that of someone you know.
Charles Mancuso, left, is chair of the SOS Recovery Community Organization Board of Directors. Bradford Paige is treasurer of the board.
Whatever your perspective, experience or beliefs, we must all acknowledge the need for services and support in our communities to help individuals and families who are navigating their own recovery experiences. With so many of our neighbors dealing with SUD, we do not have the luxury of simply shutting the door, closing the blinds and pretending that substance use issues will simply go away.
To that end, the questions of who will provide this support and these services and where they will provide them are of utmost importance. Fortunately for our local community, we already have a strong foundation with which to answer these questions: SOS Recovery Community Organization.
Established in 2016, SOS is a nonprofit, community-based organization with locations in Rochester, Dover and Exeter that provides peer-based recovery and wellness support services for individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. Peer-based substance use recovery organizations like SOS are not standalone entities — they are an essential component of a broader, integrated network of community-based supports. These organizations provide something that clinical systems often cannot: lived experience, trust, and sustained engagement. When someone enters recovery, they need more than treatment; they need connection, hope, and practical guidance from people who have walked the same path.
SOS is committed to reducing harm and stigma while ensuring those seeking recovery have access to the care, resources and support they need to achieve their self-defined goals, including navigating basic needs such as employment, food insecurity and housing, and connection to family and community, as well as non-clinical group meetings. SOS also offers on-site SUD treatment services in partnership with Better Life Partners, wound care support provided by UNH nursing students, family support programs, overdose prevention training and harm reduction programs.
SOS’s award-winning restaurant Fold’d in Somersworth not only serves outstanding food but also provides job training opportunities for people who are in recovery, previously incarcerated and/or justice-involved. Fold’d aims to offer a safe and supportive environment for all, whether to make an income, develop employable skills for sustainable recovery, or simply to enjoy a meal and build community. NH Chronicle even featured Fold’d in a January 2024 segment.
SOS has served the Rochester community for nearly 10 years from its center at 14 Signal Street but left that location in early December 2025 due to a pending change in the building’s ownership. To continue its mission of providing critical recovery support and services to the Rochester community, SOS is in the process of transitioning to a new location at 161-165 Rochester Hill Road, currently under agreement.
As members of the board of directors of SOS, each of us personally represents different facets of the substance use conversation, and we repeatedly witness the positive difference SOS makes in the recovery journeys of its clients and their loved ones, day-in and day-out. We are incredibly proud of SOS’s contributions to positive outcomes for its clients and we hope everyone can recognize the critical role SOS plays in our communities.
Substance use disorder affects families, friends, and neighbors across every street and zip code. Recovery services save lives, restore hope, and strengthen the very fabric of our community. This new location isn’t just a building; it’s a lifeline for those who need it most. We ask you to stand with us, to choose understanding over fear, and to help create a safer, healthier future for everyone. Join us in supporting this effort — because recovery is possible, and together, we can make it happen.
Charles Mancuso is chair of the SOS Recovery Community Organization board of directors. Bradford Paige is treasurer of the board.