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On a steamy Thursday evening,
Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) held its fifth annual “Walk
4 Recovery.” The mission of the walk is to show the positive sides
of recovery from addiction, encourage those struggling to get help,
and reduce the stigma associated with recovery.
The corner of Scully Park was
dotted with yard signs showing support for those going through
substance abuse recovery. Walkers were welcome to create their own
sign to carry as they walked; ROSC provided signs and markers. Along
the sidewalk, several non-profit organizations shared information
about their resources and goodies with the small crowd in
attendance. ROSC was also providing snacks and water. There was a
large sign for the attendees to sign.
On another picnic table were goodie
bags with information about the program, a business card flipbook
with even more resources, a journal tailored to the recovery
journey, pens, and other items to encourage and support recovery
from addiction.
A photo opportunity was available
with a large purple frame that read, “Reframing Recovery.”
Grace Irvin kicked off the event by welcoming the attendees. She
encouraged everyone to visit the booths, grab a snack, and take a
goodie bag. She introduced the first speaker, Will Freeman.
Freeman spoke of adolescent years
riddled with trouble with the law and struggles with drugs. After a
relapse, he found himself facing prison time, and with aging
parents, he was afraid he would never see them again and would not
be there for them when they needed him the most. He was granted a
chance, and he decided to take the inpatient program seriously. He
faced it head-on and continues to heal. He realized that what he
thought was helping him escape was destroying his life. He recounted
the things that addiction took from him and the things that recovery
taught him. He proudly shared that he is 11 months clean and now
very active in helping others in recovery programs while holding
several jobs. He has built a life he no longer feels he needs to
escape from and welcomes the opportunity to help others in their
recovery journey.
The crowd cheered for Freeman, and
then Grace introduced the next speaker, Samantha Martinie. Samantha
helped with the first walk when she was one year clean and has
continued to help.
Martinie detailed her journey of
relapse and struggles throughout the years, and she explained that
while she went through the steps, she didn’t feel changed on the
inside. Finally, after completing a 15-month program at Oxford, she
felt changed inside. She said the best day was when she was reunited
with her children.
She has continued to share her
story and chooses to “recover out loud” in hopes of helping someone
else. She proudly displayed her 7-year token. She said that every
five minutes someone dies due to an overdose and remembered someone
she lost to addiction and transitioned from her speech to a moment
of silence for those who have been lost to addiction. She and Grace
welcomed those in the crowd to come up and honor anyone they have
lost to an overdose. The crowd emotionally joined in to honor those
they have lost.
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After wiping away tears, Grace
invited everyone to prepare their signs for the walk and instructed
them to gather near the park entrance. Once everyone was ready, they
gathered with their large banner at the front and yard signs.
They left Scully Park and headed
toward the Logan County Courthouse, where they stopped for a picture
before looping around the jail and back to the park.
When the group of walkers returned
to Scully Park, the last speaker took his turn. Jeff Nelson detailed
his struggle with addiction, saying it began at the age of 10. He
explained that the family circumstances growing up led him to begin
drinking. After he began drinking, he discovered marijuana and then
harder drugs. After realizing he had a problem at the age of 18, he
attended his first AA meeting; he was admitted to rehab centers and
hospitals, but he wasn’t ready for recovery. At one time, he tried
to end his life, but he says, “God wasn’t ready for me to leave.”
After that attempt, he realized he
was ready to begin his recovery journey. He began AA again, then
Celebrate Recovery and Smart Recovery. Now, he goes to the Logan
County jail once a week and tries to “plant the seed of recovery”
among the inmates. Mr. Nelson has struggled with severe back
injuries through the years and has not thought of having a drink. He
believes he is now the person God wanted him to be. He said he was
once a dealer of dope, but today he is a dealer of hope. At the end
of his speech, he reminded everyone that there is light at the end
of the tunnel.
To round out the night, Janette Davis closed by rallying the crowd
to share the resources available and to “recover out loud.” Her
message was one of hope and encouragement. Hope for recovery, hope
that the stigma around recovery will one day be reduced, and hope
that the support community will continue to grow. She encouraged the
group not to wait for a special occasion to show support or be a
voice for recovery.
Annual Walk 4 Recovery photo slideshow part 1
Annual Walk 4 Recovery photo slideshow part 2
Annual Walk 4 Recovery video playlist
[Joli Boerma Crane]
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