A PALL of gloom has descended on the Mon Repos-based Phoenix Recovery Project as a result of the death of its coordinator, Clarence Young, who died on Tuesday night in the United States, where he had travelled recently to seek further medical attention.

The untimely demise of this Trinidad-native is being seen as a great blow to the project, which he founded when he migrated from his homeland many years ago, following his own `success story’ from substance abuse.

So successful was his inroads in helping drug addicts both young and old, that the programme was in 2011 conferred with one of this country’s national awards, the Medal of Service (MS).

There were many success stories from the lips of those who had once lost their way to drug abuse and addictions, but benefitted from the experience and guidance which brought them back on their feet.

A Facebook tribute from the Board and Directors stated that Young had left the land of his birth to fulfill a promise to Natalie Stephenson, to commence a drug recovery programme in 1995. That stay saw him working at places such as Prashad’s Hospital and Salvation Army, Tiger Bay, Hadfield Street and Plaisance.

It was in 2006 that he opened Phoenix as his first in-house programme, which to date is the only programme that currently caters for female drug addicts. (Wendella Davidson)