The Power of Hope, Community, and Collaboration
Dec 18, 2024
Earlier this month, RS EDEN held our 3rd Annual Art Heals event, a beautiful example of community coming together to witness transformation, celebrate resilience, and reflect on the undeniable power of hope.
As I think back on both the event and the year overall, I find it powerful that the art on display came from all corners of the RS EDEN community. Artists included participants in all our programs, from recovery to reentry to supportive housing. They were of all ages, including the creative kids at our whole-family recovery center, The Lorraine. Our staff was in the mix as well, and the show’s artwork ranged from skateboard art to graffiti to intricate line drawing.
Along with the artists themselves, the event drew attendees including RS EDEN board members, community partners, civic leaders, and many members of our staff. This coming together made it clear that art heals—as does community. The night brought to mind the words of Dan, whose recovery journey led him to a staff position on our team.
“When I came to RS EDEN,” shares Dan, “I was inspired by folks who had come before me and took the time to mentor me in that process. The opposite of addiction is connection...We don’t recover alone. This is something we do together.” (Watch Dan’s full interview, which we featured on our website this fall.)
This connectedness mirrors our approach to all RS EDEN programs, which rely on collaboration and service integration to truly meet our participants’ acute and complex needs. In 2024 we doubled down on collaboration, and I would like to recognize those partnerships:
To our partners in affordable and supportive housing, thank you for your unwavering commitment to providing safe and stable homes for more than 700 individuals and families.
To YourPath, for walking alongside our recovery and withdrawal management programs, helping us serve those in critical need.
To new partners, where creativity and humility are driving advancements toward justice and equity—thank you for growing with us in this shared mission.
To all the collaborations and policy work bringing organizations together, channeling frustration and anger into meaningful change—thank you.
To our funders, who stand behind our vision and connect us with much-needed resources to help our participants build new beginnings.
And to all the partnerships we strengthen each day within our own staff and board and program participants, nothing works without partnership. Together, we are stronger.
Yet the work isn’t done. Substance use disorder, mental illness, homelessness, and incarceration are some of the most challenging circumstances to overcome. No individual can do it alone, and no organization can either. Healing happens in community. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Capri for Art Heals, and to those who continue to believe in the power of this work. Together, we are creating lasting change in 2025.