Luke Smith is the Founder and Board Chair of REACH Chattanooga, a nonprofit built from lived experience and a clear understanding of what recovery truly requires.

Originally from Tampa, Florida and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Luke spent over a decade struggling with alcoholism, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. At his lowest point, he came to a realization that changed everything: he didn’t actually want to die, he just didn’t know how to live.

That moment led him to seek help.

In September 2022, Luke entered treatment at Mount Sinai Wellness Center in Dahlonega, Georgia, where he began building a foundation in recovery rooted in accountability, structure, and the principle of taking life one day at a time. He continued his recovery journey in Carlsbad, California at Southern California Recovery Center (SCRC), completing a men’s Intensive Outpatient Program and strengthening his commitment through community, counseling, and a 12-step model.

During this time, Luke met his now wife, Amanda, who was also on her own path in recovery. They returned to Chattanooga and were married on January 1, 2025.

Once back in Chattanooga, Luke quickly recognized a major gap in the system. While treatment resources existed, the transition out of rehab or incarceration often led men right back into unstable, high-risk environments. Long waitlists, lack of structure, and unsafe housing options were pushing men into relapse or back into the system.

Through sponsorship and direct involvement in the recovery community, Luke saw the same pattern repeat itself: men ready to change, but with nowhere safe to go.

REACH Chattanooga was created to change that.

Luke’s mission is to build the kind of structured, accountable recovery environment that gives men a real chance at long-term sobriety and independence. His work is rooted in the belief that recovery doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens in community, with the right support, expectations, and opportunities in place.

His commitment is simple: to walk alongside men in recovery and help build the structure that makes lasting change possible.

“We are building the house we once needed.”