He hadn’t yet made it through the doors when his body crumpled to the ground.

There lay André X. La Monte-Lee, 58, who had made it to the doorstep of the Cherry Hill Sobering Center just before his body gave out. It was maybe his 50th time there. Folks at the clinic knew him by name.

“André?” asked a familiar voice. “You good?” The familiar voice was Anthony Bass, an addict since he was 11 years old.

By the time he was 18, Bass had run away from his San Mateo home, was living on the streets and had been in and out of juvenile detention. At 18 he was sent to San Quentin State Prison, where he spent most of his adult years until his 31st birthday. That was in 2011. He has been clean since.

In 2018, Bass took a job at Cherry Hill in San Leandro. Now he’s the program manager, running a clinic of 19 full-time employees who are trying to keep people like La Monte-Lee alive for one more day.

The 24-hour sobering center is operated by Horizon Services, Inc. It’s a safe haven for those who hit rock bottom and have nowhere else to go. If they’re too drunk, too high, too sick or too weak, this is the place for them.

“You just know when it’s your time,” said Bass, 43. “I tell the clients now, ‘it’s OK, you don’t have to come in here and get sober. We’re not looking for the grand slam. Take the base hit. One night. Get the aftercare services you need. You know we’re a space for you if you ever need it.’ ”

There are at least three staff members on site, ready to provide a hot meal, a cup of coffee, a shower, clothes and a cot to sleep on. A medical director helps with any medications, including Narcan. A recovery-care specialist and case managers guide them to their next steps, like a detox center or in-patient rehab, if they choose to go that route.

“Anthony says we’re Ground Zero before treatment even starts,” said Anna Phillips, the chief program officer at Horizon Services. “We’re their first introduction to their system of care.”