Hidden Gems: Meet Logan Terry of Keith Dixon Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Logan Terry. 

Hi Logan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In January of 2018 due to being heavily addicted to drugs and a long line of selfish decisions, I was homeless and living out of the back of a Mitsubishi Endeavor in the middle of winter. My body was physically starting to shut down and my family did the most loving thing that they could have done at the time and cut me off. 

At this point, I was completely out of options and had given up on all hope that I could live any other way or that things could change. 

The person I was living with at the time had had enough of this way of life and we spent about a month trying to find a treatment center so that they could get help. The problem that we ran into was that they had no money, and state insurance. All the safe facilities had a waiting list of over two weeks. 

After about a month of making phone calls and reaching out to the few people that we knew that could possibly help us, that person gave up and did the only thing that they could do and checked into a psychiatric facility so that they could protect themselves from using one more day and wait for a bed to open up at one of the state-funded treatment facilities. 

I on the other hand who had completely given up hope that things would ever change, was then sitting alone in my car. At that point, for some reason that I still don’t understand, had about 15 minutes of willingness and my father’s premium insurance policy. I made one phone call and was on a plane within 48 hours to California to receive treatment. 

Over the next 3 and a half years I was not only able to receive the quality treatment and help that I needed to live a life free from drugs and alcohol, but I found a way of living that has become increasingly beautiful and full of purpose as time passes. 

There was not a day that went by that I did not think of Keith. But especially the days when I celebrated a milestone of sobriety, all I could think about is how much Keith would have not only loved this way of life, but he would have thrived in it. 

During my time in California, I was given the opportunity to start working in the treatment industry as a Program Director in a high structured sober living. One of my responsibilities was answering the phone calls for people wanting and needing help. What I learned very quickly was that only about 10% of people reaching out for help have the resources or support necessary to get it. 

Over those three years, I lost over 12 friends from back home in Tennessee to drug-related overdoses and realized while my friends from California and other parts of the country were experiencing a dramatic increase of their friends and loved ones dying from substance abuse, my community back home was suffering loses at a much higher rate. I just did not know or understand why? 

I knew that after being sober for about 6 months, that I wanted to open a recovery home just like the one that I had the privilege to build my new life in. 

I knew that when I opened a Recovery home that I wanted to honor Keith’s memory in some way, but at the time I didn’t know how I was going to do that or what Lisa, Connor, and the rest of Keith’s family would be comfortable with. I just knew I had to do something. 

On March 13th, 2021, which happened to be the 7th anniversary of Keith’s passing, I moved back to Tennessee and immediately started putting together everything that I needed to open a recovery home back here in Nashville. 

I met with Keith’s Mother to discuss in what ways we could honor Keith’s memory into what I was putting together. What we came up with was better than anything I could have ever dreamed of to honor Keith’s memory. 

We decided to start a non-profit called the Keith Dixon Foundation. The next day I called several of my close friends to help me start putting this project together, all of whom agreed without a second thought or hesitation. What we found in our initial research was as equally shocking as it was heartbreaking. 

We discovered that Tennessee had a 32% higher death rate from drug overdoses than the national average and the current resources available to those trying get help were scarce. We also found that most people who were struggling with addiction didn’t have the resources necessary to get the help that they needed. 

Our mission ever since has been to raise money so that we can scholarship Tennesseans, who are struggling with addiction, into treatment and recovery programs so that they too can have another chance at living a life free from addiction. With the support of our donors and community we have already been able to raise enough money to provide 13 scholarships! 

I have also had the opportunity to open my Recovery home, Old Hickory Recovery. We opened the doors this past November and we now have full house of men who are learning how to navigate the waters of their new life with connection, love, and service to others. 

I feel as though I am the luckiest man in the world. I have been given the opportunity to serve my community with a team filled with my childhood best friends and together we have been able to build something impactful and beautiful. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The main challenges I faced were my own negative thoughts. Prior to getting sober in 2018, I thought very little of myself and would constantly belittle any idea that I was capable of accomplishing or achieving much of anything. 

Over the past several years, through experiencing a lot of little victories, like getting off of probation, getting my Driver’s license back, moving into a new apartment, getting promotions at work, etc… I was able to learn that I can accomplish almost anything if my motives are pure. 

We’ve been impressed with Keith Dixon Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Over 92% of people struggling with addiction do not have the financial resources to get the help they need. 

The Keith Dixon Foundation was created to honor the life of Keith Dixon, who passed away in 2014 from a drug-related overdose. Our mission is to provide the education, opportunity, and resources necessary to help those struggling with substance abuse in Tennessee. Our goal is to raise awareness and resources to assist people seeking recovery so they may thrive in a life free of from addiction and substance abuse. 

Our primary goal has been to raise money in order to provide scholarships into recovery programs for Tennesseans, who are struggling with addiction, that cannot afford it themselves. 

What I have been the most proud of so far, is the amount of support we have received from our hometown of White House TN. Because of that support and the support from our other donors we have been able to award 13 scholarships in the first six months! 

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would be going to my grandmother house in Hopkinsville Ky. She would spoil me with grilled cheese sandwiches and love. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://keithdixonfoundation.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithdixonfoundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeithDixonFoundation/