A chance at We-Covery

With programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

and Al-Anon, it may be assumed

that those who struggled with recovery from addiction have a number of resources at their disposal. One thing that seems to be lacking for those in recovery, however, is a sense of community. That is where Christi Kelley, Chairman of We-Covery, is hoping to help.

We-Covery is a new local non-profit with the stated goal to “support the recovery community by putting a face on recovery to ensure individuals are treated with dignity and respect.” Kelley founded the group earlier this year and hopes to be able to grow the organization to provide what she sees as a much needed community.

“We-Covery is a recovery community organization. We’re not like a 12-step program or anything like that. We’re a recovery community organization where we work to help individuals in recovery, or with recovery in our community. The goal for We-Covery is to get rid of the stigma, the shame, the discrimination when it comes to addiction and helping individuals through the recovery process,” said Kelley.

For Kelley, part of forming that community is providing support for those who are between their first and fifth year of recovery, when the chances of relapse are at their greatest. In 2016, then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released his report on addiction and calling for action. “The surgeon general came out and said addiction and recovery are a thing and that, as a community and as communities and as a nation, we need to begin to address this and how do we do that? And so, the surgeon general recognized that, within the first year of individuals’ recovery, they are the most volatile,” Kelley said.

Kelley added that, after the fifth year of maintaining sobriety, the chances of relapse go down to 15 percent.

“What is also being recognized is that, as communities, we are failing individuals in this, that we don’t have resources for individuals to get to that five years and stay solid,” said Kelley.

To help Kelley understand the struggles of recovery, she reached out to Jo Dee Mayfield, who has had her own struggles with maintaining sobriety.

“For the majority of my adult life, I have been in or around active addiction. The way Christi and I met was because I was in trouble with the law due to my addiction. I had been to treatment before in the late 90s and got clean and sober for several years. It was when I moved back to Wyoming that the stressors and the triggers, where the trouble started, that’s when I picked it right back up again,” said Mayfield.

According to Kelley, Mayfield told her that it was difficult for her, to get involved within her community because she didn’t know who she hurt when her addiction was active.

“One thing that Jo Dee said to me when I pulled her into this ... she told me, ‘’You don’t understand,’” Kelley said. ... The aha moment for me was she said ‘You don’t understand that I don’t understand the people that I have harmed. That when I was active in my addiction, that it wasn’t just family members that I harmed. It was people in the community that I harmed. It could have been somebody in the grocery store that I was high and was rude to or said something to.’”

The 12-step programs has worked for Mayfield. She can see the potential of We-Covery and what it can do by providing a community for those who are also in recovery. Programs planned by We-Covery include helping individuals create a resume or even make their own meals. Truly helping those in recovery get their life back on track while also providing a place for them to go when they are under stress and prone to relapse.

Though still in its infancy, We-Covery has big plans. This includes having a building to house the organization. Right now, the group is utilizing Carbon County Child Development in Rawlins as they continue to grow. The organization also has a fundraiser planned for Sept. 20, a BINGO night at the Sinclair Recreation Center.

For more information on We-Covery, contact Christi Kelley by calling 307-321- 1418 or emailing [email protected].