Join Our Events and Volunteers Committee!
For those in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, a supportive, positive community of like-minded people is the key to success.
That’s why community is at the core of everything Blue Water Recovery and Outreach offers (BWROC). Founded in 2017, BWROC offers a unique, peer-driven, non-clinical support system.
BWROC’s employees, peer recovery coaches, and volunteers are usually in recovery themselves. This real-world experience allows them to empathize with program participants who are new to or struggling with recovery. The organization was awarded the prestigious CAPRSS Accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services, a testament to BWROC’s dedication to providing participants with the highest quality service.
BWROC’s Events and Volunteer Committee
BWROC offers monthly and yearly events for those in recovery or anyone who supports the recovery community. BWROC’s Events and Volunteer Committee meets on Mondays at noon and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at BWROC’s office at 617 10th St., Port Huron; anyone is welcome to join.
Elijah Bennett, chairperson of the committee and BWROC peer recovery coach, said volunteers are assigned tasks that complement their skills – people who like cooking might be asked to prepare food; or someone who is very organized might assist in planning. Everyone is asked to share their ideas for event activities.
BWROC partners with Blue Water Area businesses and sponsors to host events, such as skate parties, bowling, campouts, dances, concerts, and picnics. Every Monday, one of BWROC’s sponsors hosts a free family dinner open to everyone at 5 p.m. at BWROC’s office.
The Events and Volunteer Committee also assists BWROC staff in planning large semi-annual events, such as Recovery Fest, a festival held in Port Huron with vendors, games, motivational speakers, music, and a 5K.
“It’s Through Each Other that We’re Able to Find Success”
Bennett said these events reduce the stigma of substance use disorder and those in recovery from it in the broader community.
“People who have suffered from addictions or alcoholism, they aren’t worthless people,” Bennett said. “They can find a home and they can be useful. The public gets to see that when we get involved in our community, or even when we go out to do events with other businesses and organizations.”
BWROC’s events give people a chance to have fun, be social, and feel supported by positive, like-minded people – a key element of finding success in recovery.
“The disease of addiction is a disease of isolation. It doesn’t want us to connect with others. And when we’re not connected with others, we’re vulnerable. Alone we have never been able to find success. It’s through community, it’s through each other that we’re able to find success,” Bennett said. “It’s through relying on one another, making connections with people we can reach out to who aren’t going to judge us, who aren’t going to criticize us or give us the wrong advice. It’s having those people who are on the same journey as you are, and there’s a certain comfort in that.”
“And we get to connect. We get to reach out; we get to lean on each other in tough times, because we’re going through it too. When we have people who support us in making the right decisions, who will be by our sides, who will pick up the phone, who will go out to coffee with us, that’s a really big help in some really tough times, and that’s what we can find in recovery. When we have those lifetime friends, for the first time, we feel like we have people we can talk to, people we can trust. That’s what we find in the community,” he added.
As someone in recovery, Bennett knows the importance of community. While in active addiction, he lost contact with his children, received food assistance, and spent time in jail.
He credits BWROC and the friends he’s made along the way for his success in recovery. He finds meaning and purpose in helping others rebuild their lives after addiction.
“I was a broken person. I think a lot of us in recovery start off at that point. We all start at a rock bottom,” he said. “And the way that BWROC helps people is that we get to meet them at that point, share that we’ve been there before, and then give them the recipe to success.”
How You Can Support BWROC’s Mission
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, learn more about what you can do by contacting the Blue Water Recovery and Outreach Center at (810) 689-4858 or via email at contact@bwroc.org. Visit our website to find meetings and additional recovery resources.
There are many ways you can support us:
- Join the Events and Volunteer Committee; meets are held Mondays at noon and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at BWROC’s office at 617 10th, Port Huron
- Contact us to sponsor an event or offer to host a family dinner, either as an individual, nonprofit, or local business
- Visit our website to sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on news and events
- Make a tax-deductible donation to BWROC
- Follow us on Facebook or YouTube to see events and recovery stories
- By Laura Fitzgerald, a freelance writer based in the Blue Water Area