From the moment I walked through the doors of CforR, I was greeted with a warm welcome and an instant feeling that I belonged. I quickly realized that I wanted to become more involved with this organization that had been so kind and gracious in making me feel right at home.
I began seeking help with my addiction early in 2014 and had no idea of the challenges that were ahead. After 30 days in a treatment facility, I could not wait to get out and begin my new outlook and life of sobriety. Within 3 months I was back in the same facility in much worse shape than before. The next 5 years I repeated this type of behavior with the same end results.
In late 2019, while finishing another 30-day treatment program, my counselor suggested Communities for Recovery (CforR). He told me about peer coaching, their volunteer program and some success stories he had heard from CforR. I left that day with an address, phone number and a name of a peer coach he recommended as well as a new sense of hope that I wasn’t just going to go back home to try the same old steps that had not worked for me in the past.
From the moment I walked through the doors of CforR, I was greeted with a warm welcome and an instant feeling that I belonged. I quickly realized that I wanted to become more involved with this organization that had been so kind and gracious in making me feel right at home. I began volunteering by helping with some CforR events and started to expand my volunteer role by signing up for training in facilitating meetings throughout the week on campus.
The leadership by example from everyone involved with Communities for Recovery has been very inspiring. The atmosphere provided by the Staff, Coaches and Volunteers has always been one of encouragement, inclusion and equality. While learning about and trying different types of recovery paths to find what works best for you individually, CforR maintains a “home base” structure where everyone is always welcome and each of our voices are important in our common goal of recovery.
I am now just over a year of sobriety. With the help and guidance of CforR, I have been able to start the training and certification process to become a state certified Recovery Support Peer Specialist. I am looking forward to improving my own recovery as a Peer Coach. Much like my own coach, I will take the time to listen, acknowledge and understand what a person is looking for in recovery. Then, we will work together to put a plan in place to help them reach their goals and find happiness in recovery and life.
For all these reasons and so many others, Communities for Recovery will always remain special to me and I look forward to many more years working in any way that I am able to contribute to CforR.
– CA Cowser
Please use this link to donate to Communities for Recovery.