ABOVE PHOTO: PRO-ACT volunteer Victor Scott (Photo/Council of Southeast PA)
The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania spent the month of September shining a spotlight on recovery through their local events during National Recovery Month.
September is National Recovery Month. This year’s theme — “Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections,” — embraces the adversity experienced in 2020. When we celebrate our connections to the diversity of people from all walks of life striving for recovery, we find support and courage to speak up for inclusion, respect, and opportunity.
One of the events the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania held was their 19th annual “PRO-ACT Recovery Walks!”, which was held virtually on September 12.
The walks celebrate the millions of people who have found, are finding, and have yet to find this path to hope, health, and personal growth. PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! — which has been hosted in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia since 2002 — is the largest of its kind in the nation.
The annual fundraising event saw thousands of people across the Delaware Valley walking in their neighborhoods to show that together we can eliminate the shame and fear that affects attitudes about this disease and share our vision that recovery is possible for all and to save lives.
The Council has also hosted their “PRO-ACT Virtual Village” every Wednesday night on Facebook Live at: www.facebook.com/Recoverywalks/, where anyone interested could learn more about recovery. The virtual sessions covered a number of important recovery-related topics, and included discussions such as “A Conversation on Anti-Racism and Peer Recovery with Dep. Commissioner Roland Lamb and DBHIDS,” which was held on September 23.
The final session, entitled “The Recovery Toolbox for All,” takes place on September 30 at 6:30p.m.
A cherished tradition of Recovery Walks! is the Honor Guard, which celebrates individuals with 10 years in recovery or more. The Honor Guard is noted by the purple sash they wear, and they lead the walk each year.
One of the newest inductees into the Honor Guard, PRO-ACT volunteer Victor Scott, just celebrated 10 years of recovery and has found passion in trying to help others find recovery as well. Scott volunteers at the Philadelphia Recovery Community Center as a way to give back.
“I give hope in situations that seem hopeless,” he said. “They can see in me that it can happen for them. If it can happen for me, it can happen for anyone else at any pace. The key is you have to start.”
The Pennsylvania Recovery Organization — Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT) is a well-respected, highly visible, and vibrant grassroots organization for people affected by substance use disorders (including alcoholism and drug addiction) and their families. For more information, visit: www.councilsepa.org.
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