'Don't know where I'd be': Sober living organization hopes to help Tulsans

By: Isabel Flores

TULSA, Okla — Organizations like A New Life Sober Living are working to help curb the substance abuse issue in Oklahoma.

According to the Tulsa County Community Needs Assessment published in 2025, about 1 in every 5 people has a substance abuse disorder in Tulsa.

WATCH: 'Don't know where I'd be': Sober living organization hopes to help Tulsans:

'Don't know where I'd be': Sober living organization hopes to help Tulsans

The publication also stated almost 300 people overdosed in 2023.

A New Life Sober Living has been a certified sober living organization since 2020.

Members like Steven Beckam said they are grateful for all of the help they've received.

“Without this place, I don't know where I'd be honestly at this point," he said.

He told 2 News he's been with A New Life for about a year now, and has a lot to celebrate.

“I have gotten, gained re-contact with both my kids, and I'm going to be moving into my own home here in the near future," he said. "I've bought in two vehicles, and so life is looking pretty great for me.”

Owner Teri Jacobs sent over this statement highlighting some of the main goals of the organization:

We are an organization owned by Ranch 41. A New Life Sober Living Program. We currently have 2 houses and 1 duplex 40 beds for men. At A New Life Sober Living, we provide more than just a place to stay—we offer a structured path to rebuilding lives. We serve men coming out of addiction, incarceration, homelessness, or crisis, giving them a safe and stable environment to start over.
Our program is built on accountability and growth. Residents are required to work, attend recovery meetings, find a sponsor, and actively participate in their recovery journey. We’re teaching life skills, responsibility, and how to live with purpose again.

We also connect individuals to critical community resources like job opportunities, mental health services, peer support, and even basic needs like clothing for interviews.

Our mission is simple—we meet people where they are, walk alongside them, and help them become independent, confident, and contributing members of the community. At the end of the day, we want people to know that recovery is possible—and they don’t have to do it alone.

Co-owner of the organization Sebastian Cobelo said he's proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes it's members, especially since he knows how hard drug addiction can be.

“I've been clean myself for like, six years and four months," he said. "For me, it's, it's the treatment that I went through. It kind of taught us that, you know, the drug is a byproduct of other things that you're dealing with in your life.”

Nicholas Gotes has been with A New Life for just over three years and is now the house president.

“The thing about recovery is you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because that's where you actually grow and you learn," he said.

He said the recovery program has given him a sense of community, and has allowed him to see things in a different light.

It has also allowed him to regain contact with his children and become a better father.

It's something he's very proud of.

“It's nice to be able to see people from all walks of life, be able to come together for one main purpose and be able to help each other, even when you think you can't," he said. "There's always somebody that's willing to learn from you, or is going through something you've been through that you can help them with.”