“It helped me cope with emotional difficulties and feeling uncomfortable in my own skin and social settings. It was just like my own little Band-Aid I invented, I guess.” 
 
Today as a person in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), she’s found other ways to feel worthy and connected. “[My community] saw where I was at and that it wasn't something that I had to hide or lie about. I just felt totally accepted and completely warm and acknowledged and comfortable. I could be myself.” 

Now she wants to help others feel that, too. “I want to be there to support and help a person that might have been going through the same thing I was. And maybe they just need to hear from someone, like even a smile or like, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ to be treated humanely.”   
 
She knows the impact those small actions can make because she’s been there. “I really want to be doing that because it could save a person's life. And it's a chain reaction because once they can do it, it's like a domino effect.” 

 
#TogetherToEndStigma that’s what we’re working for: compassionate communities where more people can get the support they need to thrive.