Minnesota Recovery Connection

Minnesota Recovery Connection has been the Most Vital Link to My Long-Term Recovery! Fresh Out of In-Patient Treatment (2013) I seen Nell H. Speaking and Doing Outreach, Recruiting, Building, Networking, and Working Tirelessly, Building MRC from the Grassroots Up! She Had (& Still Does Have) What I Wanted!  As I Stepped Down to Out-Patient Naturally from 5 days a week to 4, 3, and then Only 2 days a week, I Began to have Way too Much idle Time on hands. So, I Searched Out Volunteering Opportunities! I Set Up tables for a Neighborhood Community Development at Anishinabe Wakiagun When I was Fortunate enough to Hear the Key Note Speaker, Jill P. & She was Talking My Language and had My Full Attention. When She Asked the Audience, who has heard of MRC, I was the Only Hand to Raise! She asked Me to Come Visit the Office and Sign Up for Volunteering.  I should up the Very Next Morning! Monique B. Signed Me Up for Telephone Recovery Support Training, Earning a Continued Education Certificate, Allowing Me to Finally Feel Useful for the 1st Time after 26 years of Active Addiction, 2 Years of 24/7/365 of Constant Use, and over 2 years of addiction Treatment. Monique Took Me Under Her Wing Continuing My Education, Trusting Me with Responsibilities, Getting Me Out of My Comfort Zone, Speaking, Outreaching, Advocating, in Places with People Just Like Me, from Prisons, Jails, Detoxes, Drug Courts, Treatment Centers to Capitol Hill, and That is When I Realized, My "Purpose" Started to Find Me! Something I Searched for My Whole 42 Years of Living. Now when each time one of these Amazing Gifted Woman Would Naturally transition to the Next Level of their Careers, I Would Think to Myself, "MRC is Doomed and My Purpose is Going to Leave Me Empty, Alone, and back to Homelessness on the Park Benches of the Inner Twin Cities.  Miraculously, To Me, Each Woman Brought the Next Piece of Puzzle with New Perspectives, New Energy, New Wisdom, New Life Experiences, New Connections. - Suzula B. - Julia A. & - Kris K. of the Milky Way! All These Amazingly Spirited Woman Pushed Me to Thrive and Keep Coming Back Every Day Volunteering for 3 Years, Until One Unforgettable Day, when Kris Offered Me a Job, Paying Me to Do What I Love to do because it came Natural to Me. I Quickly made arrangements to Step Down Out of a 26 year, 3rd Generation Family Trade in the Bricklayers Union Local #1 as Superintendent of Craftsman Trades which No Longer Fulfilled My God Sized Inner Hole.   Shortly after Graduating In-Patient, Out-Patient, and After Care, at Park Avenue Center and then Moving out of My Nooky Blanket, Transitional Sober Housing at Missions Inc's. Smith Lodge Back into the Fearful, Real World, Kris Handed Me a Scholarship to the Recovery Coach Academy that in True Spiritual Awakening Style, Changed My Life Forever! Peer Services Was the Missing Link from Treatment to Long Term "Recovery" Still Attending College for Addiction Counseling/Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders, As I Started Work at MRC Part time (20 hours a week) Gradually Changing Careers at age 43 Peer Services Started to Gain Much Needed Momentum to Full Time Job (60+ hours a week) Working Under Different Grants over the Last 4+ years as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist I was able to Trail Blaze Pathways, Starting Up & Completed 2 Separate Drug Court Contracts, (Hennepin and Ramsey County Specialty Modal Drug Courts, including DWI Courts, Homelessness Courts & Veterans Courts. 2 Year Contacts)  As MRC Started Rapidly Growing Kris Invited Me to Co-Facilitate the Recovery Coach Academy's. While Working Side by Side with a Woman I Have Un-Conditional Admiration for, I Was Able to Soak Up Wisdom You Can't Learn from a Book. After Class One Day I Happen to Witness Kris open an email Stating She Received "THE" Grant She Had Helped Influence, Modal, and Write with East Metro Alliance. I Will Never Forget the Look of Joy in Her Watery Eyes as she Read it to Me. Then, She Handed Me a Chance of a Lifetime for a 1st of Kicking Her Feet with Un-Limiting Sources of Energy, Accomplishing Amazing Progress, Completing Goals, and Raising the Bar Higher. Un-Selfishly Taking No Time for Recognition, Reaching Beyond the Stars, While Mindfully Focusing on Best Practices for All Our Communities!  Thank You to All You Wonderful Woman for Helping Me, to Better Help Others...