I need you, yes you!
This morning, as I type this, I am in Washington DC. Today I will meet with lawmakers and leaders in the executive branch to discuss my thoughts and ideas on how to effect change in helping people to find a pathway to recovery. Me, a kid from the streets of Tacoma, who in my late 20's was on the streets, in and out of jail, will be meeting with decision makers who can steer the ship to a more positive direction in this arena. I could not be doing any of this without my life in recovery.
Getting to where I am today has been a multi-faceted process. It has been far from a linear path from the bottom to the top. There has been multiple ups and downs along the way. Yet, without the support of multiple entities, people, and channels of community support, I would not be able to be where I am right now, as I type this message. Through my own experience, professional work, education, and research, I know there are better ways of doing things in this vitally important area.
No one path is the same. We all have our own unique walk in recovery. That will be my main message today when I have meetings on Capital Hill. I will send the message that we need federal funding in communities likes ours that support multiple pathways to recovery. I will speak to the need for putting a positive voice and face to recovery. I will be advocating for recovery community organizations in communities across the nation that lessen the stigma attached to active addiction and even, recovery.
Now, and this is the important piece here, I am just like you. If you are reading this and you are a person in recovery, in many respects, we are very much the same. And, I need you. I need all of my friends who are enjoying a life in recovery to get busy in your community. It IS our collective voice that will help to facilitate change in big ways. I truly believe that change really happens in our communities. If you look at history, the biggest societal changes, started in small communities and grew from there.
Here I am, originally from Tacoma (city boy at heart), now a long time resident of the amazing community of Ellensburg, sitting in DC about to go to meetings with federal lawmakers. How did this happen you ask.....it happened with me doing work in my community. I get to be part of amazing things happening in Ellensburg and Kittitas County. I am involved with our school district with the goal of creating a recovery high school. I meet regularly with community stakeholders discussing ways to reduce barriers to employment and housing for people in recovery. I do these things and many more on a local level, and now, I am here to tell DC people what we are all doing in Kittitas County and to advocate for them to fund us to do more.
I imagine a scenario where thousands more of me, are doing the same. I know there are many who are doing the same things I am, I do know that. But, I am going to tell you this, we need many more. I need you, the one reading this, to get out there and speak loudly about your amazing life in recovery. We need to have the many faces of recovery that are living amazing lives tell the world about it. The more the world sees the positive face of recovery, the better our chances of shifting the tide in regard to the lack of federal funding for treatment and recovery support. The more the world sees that recovery does work, and, lives do change, the more apt we are to see lawmakers get behind us and changes laws and policies that can shift funding to support helping us to find treatment, to find recovery support, to live the lives of any other citizen.
I am a believer that many more of us can live. I am a believer that many more of us can turn things around. I am a believer that through each of our individual voices speaking loudly around the country, that many more families can be saved. I am a believer that recovery DOES work, and, lives DO change. And, I am going to tell the world about it. Will you?
Getting to where I am today has been a multi-faceted process. It has been far from a linear path from the bottom to the top. There has been multiple ups and downs along the way. Yet, without the support of multiple entities, people, and channels of community support, I would not be able to be where I am right now, as I type this message. Through my own experience, professional work, education, and research, I know there are better ways of doing things in this vitally important area.
No one path is the same. We all have our own unique walk in recovery. That will be my main message today when I have meetings on Capital Hill. I will send the message that we need federal funding in communities likes ours that support multiple pathways to recovery. I will speak to the need for putting a positive voice and face to recovery. I will be advocating for recovery community organizations in communities across the nation that lessen the stigma attached to active addiction and even, recovery.
Now, and this is the important piece here, I am just like you. If you are reading this and you are a person in recovery, in many respects, we are very much the same. And, I need you. I need all of my friends who are enjoying a life in recovery to get busy in your community. It IS our collective voice that will help to facilitate change in big ways. I truly believe that change really happens in our communities. If you look at history, the biggest societal changes, started in small communities and grew from there.
Here I am, originally from Tacoma (city boy at heart), now a long time resident of the amazing community of Ellensburg, sitting in DC about to go to meetings with federal lawmakers. How did this happen you ask.....it happened with me doing work in my community. I get to be part of amazing things happening in Ellensburg and Kittitas County. I am involved with our school district with the goal of creating a recovery high school. I meet regularly with community stakeholders discussing ways to reduce barriers to employment and housing for people in recovery. I do these things and many more on a local level, and now, I am here to tell DC people what we are all doing in Kittitas County and to advocate for them to fund us to do more.
I imagine a scenario where thousands more of me, are doing the same. I know there are many who are doing the same things I am, I do know that. But, I am going to tell you this, we need many more. I need you, the one reading this, to get out there and speak loudly about your amazing life in recovery. We need to have the many faces of recovery that are living amazing lives tell the world about it. The more the world sees the positive face of recovery, the better our chances of shifting the tide in regard to the lack of federal funding for treatment and recovery support. The more the world sees that recovery does work, and, lives do change, the more apt we are to see lawmakers get behind us and changes laws and policies that can shift funding to support helping us to find treatment, to find recovery support, to live the lives of any other citizen.
I am a believer that many more of us can live. I am a believer that many more of us can turn things around. I am a believer that through each of our individual voices speaking loudly around the country, that many more families can be saved. I am a believer that recovery DOES work, and, lives DO change. And, I am going to tell the world about it. Will you?
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