Wellness is not just about being free from illness; it’s about making choices that lead to a healthy, fulfilling life. Gateway believes that supporting a culture of wellness helps people enjoy their journey and keep going. When individuals thrive, it also strengthens the whole community.
In an article entitled, Can Connection Cure Addiction?, Johann Hari writes, “Professor Peter Cohen argues that human beings have a deep need to bond and form connections. It’s how we get our satisfaction. If we can’t connect with each other, we will connect with anything we can find—the whir of a roulette wheel or the prick of a syringe. He says we should stop talking about ‘addiction’ altogether, and instead call it ‘bonding.’ A heroin addict has bonded with heroin because they couldn’t bond as fully with anything else.”
R.A.W. Luncheons are an opportunity for Gateway staff, participants, volunteers, and community members to come together and share resources, a nice meal, and stories of recovery. Those that attend express they feel seen, hopeful, and a necessary part of something deeply important. Our R.A.W. Luncheons are more than a meeting, they are an experience.
In March 2020, during the start of the pandemic, we had to pivot our R.A.W. Luncheons from in-person gatherings and take our program virtual. Thankfully, this approach allowed us to reach a greater span of people to continue spreading the message of hope in recovery. While we have returned to in-person R.A.W. Luncheons, our previous R.A.W. Connection Calls are available for you to watch and enjoy.
In 2019, Life.Church chose Gateway as one of its mission partners, stating a commitment to provide relief and restoration to its community through volunteerism and corresponding funds, believing that we can do infinitely more together than we can apart. This partnership allowed Gateway to develop a Volunteer Program that welcomes both Life.Church participants and non-affiliated community members alike to serve and make a long lasting impact on Gateway’s people and programs for generations to come.
Why Volunteers Matter
Volunteers help people on their recovery journey feel seen, accepted, and encouraged.
Volunteers help meet staff and patients’ needs that would otherwise fall through the cracks due to lack of resources or people power.
Volunteers open doors to new people, ideas, and possibilities for Gateway’s staff, patients, and programs.
Volunteers help tell Gateway’s story of hope and reframe the negative stereotypes and stigma of addiction.
Gateway is a grateful contributor to the Shawnee Outlook. Our articles seek to educate, encourage, and empower community members around the issues of prevention, treatment, and wellness.
