As Recovery Month comes to a close today, Eliot is proud to reflect on the success of this year’s month-long honoring, remembrance and celebration. Our special event on September 20th brought together hundreds of clients, staff, and community members to recognize resilience, share powerful stories of recovery, and highlight the incredible work being done across our programs. This year, we were especially proud to spotlight the vital contributions of our Lived Experience Staff—Recovery Coaches and Peer Specialists—who collectively represent over 225 years of sustained recovery. Their experience and passion continue to make a profound difference in the lives of those we serve.
With over 80 attendees from programs like Homeless Services, ACCS, and CBHC, the event was filled with heartfelt stories that truly captured the importance of Eliot’s services in clients’ recovery journeys. Many clients shared how they wouldn’t be where they are today without the unwavering support of Eliot’s staff, underscoring just how vital these relationships are to long-term recovery.
A special thank you goes to our charismatic MC, Martin Norman, whose energy made the celebration even more memorable. We were also honored to have guest speaker Maryanne Frangules, founder of the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR), whose insightful words challenged us all to continue advocating for expanded recovery services. Her message was a powerful reminder of the work still ahead.
One particularly poignant moment was the unveiling of our Remembrance Tree, a tribute to those we’ve lost over the past year. While a moving reminder of the challenges that remain, the tree also strengthened our resolve to prevent further losses.
In line with this commitment, Eliot is excited to announce the launch of a new initiative: The First Order Overdose Response and Dynamic Support for Empowered Recovery (ORDER). This program will empower our Recovery Coaches to follow up on all overdoses, offering immediate support to both individuals and their treatment programs. This initiative highlights our dedication to ensuring that no one slips through the cracks in their recovery journey.
As we look to the future, we’re already planning next year’s Recovery Month Celebration, with the goal of making it even bigger and more impactful. With more stories, speakers, and participation, we’ll need to find a bigger room as this year’s event was standing-room only! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this year’s celebration so meaningful—we can’t wait to build on this momentum together.