Supporting the Peer Recovery Center

The opioid epidemic, and addiction & substance use disorder generally, have had an outsized impact on our small, rural state. Nearly everyone in Vermont has been impacted in some way, through personal struggles with addiction, community & workplace impacts, or losing friends or family members to overdose or severe addiction. 

Recovery from addiction can be really difficult. It’s a lifelong process that can take years, multiple attempts, tons of support, a tremendous amount of determination and courage, and the strong presence & guidance of peers who have been down the same road. This is why peer recovery centers, like Peer Recovery Center of Addison County, are crucial to helping Vermonters overcome addiction. They are a lifeline for people who have had their lives turned upside-down by addiction.

Through my work on the Senate Health & Welfare Committee and the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee, I have learned so much from Vermonters who have been impacted by substance use and/or are in recovery. I have asked a lot of questions, read the research, visited program sites, and talked to people in recovery and providing support & services. I am a strong advocate for the resources, harm reduction services, support, and grace that Vermonters with substance use disorder need to successfully recover.

So I was honored when Danielle Wallace, the Executive Director of the Peer Recovery Center of Addison County asked me to be a part of a short film they were making to highlight the Center’s important work and services. You can watch this powerful film, “The Power of Peer Support: Stories of Recovery,” below.

The film debuted last week at an event at the Town Hall Theater that included a panel discussion with peer recovery staff & volunteers from the Center, moderated by Vermont Public’s Jane Lindholm. You can read about the event in the Addison Independent.

We are incredibly fortunate the have the Peer Recovery Center and its staff & volunteers in our community. They are helping save the lives of our neighbors, friends, and family every day. Please consider supporting their work with a donation and learn more about their programming and resources on their website. They are here to help you or someone you love.

Thank you for supporting great community organizations like the Peer Recovery Center.