YOUTH FACILITATOR

I moved to Oregon from Wisconsin in 2000 to pursue careers in music and fine dining. I was quickly swept up in the excitement of backstage, post-show and after-hours service industry parties. Before I knew it, my passion for food and music was replaced with the obsession for alcohol and drugs. After 20 years of use, my mental, physical, spiritual and social health were completely broken down. In May of 2020, I was admitted into Residential Treatment at Serenity Lane in Coburg, OR. Two attempts later, on June 6, 2021, I surrendered to the fact that I am an addict, and I needed to take every suggestion that was offered and thoroughly follow the path of the 12-steps of AA.

After leaving treatment, I moved straight into sober living , and participated in an IOP program. In all, I spent over two years in treatment. I attended Refuge Recovery meetings while at Serenity Lane, (a program of recovery based on the Buddhist tradition) and quickly felt the benefits of Meditation and studying the principles of Buddhism for my mental health. My life has transformed in miraculous ways as a result of the help I have received and the work I have done.

I left a 30-year career in the food industry to dive into my new calling: working alongside people in recovery, giving back what I was so freely given. Working as a facilitator with teens is an incredibly rewarding experience. Laughing, crying, playing and learning while people discover their true selves, and becoming friends with those people is a healing experience for everyone involved. I am so grateful my past has led me to this present moment--a moment where I am right where I am supposed to be, doing the work I am supposed to do at Collective Roots APG.