Our Story
Transformation to Recovery is a 501(c)(3) faith-based addiction recovery nonprofit in South Philadelphia. Christ Church South Philly launched TTR in 2018 to combat the city’s rapidly expanding opioid epidemic.
In just a few years TTR grew from a living room meeting to a full-fledged recovery community center offering a suite of support services to individuals, families, organizations, and the community at large regardless of their ability to pay, ethnicity, race, gender, age and/or sexual orientation. Each week over 100 men and women come through our church’s doors in need. This is our harvest.
We pray for the spiritual and financial support to expand God’s work in Philadelphia until every person bound in addiction has been liberated by the grace of Jesus Christ, because in Him, new life is possible.
Our Staff
John Carlson, MBA, CRS
Executive Director
John K Carlson is the Executive Director of Transformation to Recovery (TTR), and he serves as the Deacon of Recovery and Addiction at Christ Church. John holds three business degrees, including an MBA. John started volunteering for PRO-ACT (Philadelphia Recovery Organization Achieving Community Together), encouraging his experience with addiction services. After receiving his CRS (Certified Recovery Specialist), he acquired a staff position with PRO-ACT as volunteer coordinator and the Philadelphia Peer Leadership Academy Instructor. John has worked with TTR for 9 years since 2014 when it started as a meeting in his home.
Pastor Caleb McCurley
Pastoral Lead
Caleb moved to in Philadelphia in 2013. He has been involved with Transformation to Recovery since its inception providing mentorship and leading Bible Studies at Hope House. He became a Pastor of Christ Church South Philly in May of 2022.
Our Board of Directors
Larry Andersen
Board Of Directors
Larry Andersen has been in professional baseball since graduating high school until present day, 52 years in all including parts of 17 years in the Major Leagues, and the last 26 years in the TV and radio booth for the Phillies. He has been working with TTR for almost two years and it has been his first experience working with any addiction/homeless ministry. In December of 2022 he was invited to join the board. He has brought with him to the board plenty of compassion for those battling the darkness of addiction.
Pastor Jeffrey Boettcher
Board Vice President
Pastor Jeffrey Boettcher is the lead pastor of Christ Church South Philly and one of the founders of Transformation to Recovery. He began working with people experiencing homelessness and those struggling with substance abuse after moving to Philadelphia in 2014. He has a passion for seeing people who are overlooked and written off reached with the love of Christ.
Bill Festa
Board Treasurer
Bill Festa was born and raised in South Philadelphia, not far from Christ Church South Philly, and has been a Realtor for forty-five years. He has had occasional experiences working with homeless and recovery ministries at our prior church but became far more involved when he started attending CCSP. In 2022, he started volunteering with the Chosen 300 ministry and has been teaching Wednesday night Bible Study at the Hope House, which eventually led to him being asked to serve on the Transformation To Recovery Board of Directors. He has been experiencing the hand of God working in people’s lives…and it has been an amazing experience for him.
Kathryn Kaiser
Board Of Directors
Kathryn Kaiser has served on the TTR Board for nearly a year. She obtained a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Cairn University. She has worked as a social worker in the City of Philadelphia for five years. Her social work career began in the heart of Kensington at an anti-trafficking program called “New Day”. It was there that she worked with many women experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, prostitution and addiction - her role was to help them access basic necessities, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, housing, education, employment, etc.
Julie Mattaliano
Board Secretary
Julie Mattaliano has been a TTR Board member since its founding and serves as secretary. She is a teacher of seventeen years at a private school for bright, but struggling learners. She has obtained experience in addiction ministry by being on the board and has been touched personally by addiction with several friends either now in recovery or having passed from overdose.
Bill Rodebaugh
Board President
Bill Rodebaugh is an operations, continuous improvement, and project management leader in the Chemicals Industry. Bill has 30 years of board experience with homeless and addictions ministries in the Philadelphia area as well as leading Mercy Ministries in local churches. Bill has served for three years with Transformation to Recovery.