Brainerd Lakes Recovery Groups Hold Community Appreciation Event | Lakeland News

Duration: 2:30 472 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The Brainerd Lakes Area community recently united for a special appreciation event held at the Bluewater Retreat and Hive House, bringing together around seventy local residents to honor the dedicated individuals working in mental health and recovery. This cookout served as a heartfelt gesture of gratitude toward first responders, law enforcement officers, social workers, chemical dependency counselors, and other professionals who play vital roles in helping people rebuild their lives. The event highlighted how these diverse groups form a close-knit network essential for supporting those on the path to sobriety and improved mental well-being. Both the Bluewater Retreat and Hive Recovery House operate with similar missions aimed at helping individuals establish strong foundations for substance-free living, though they serve different demographics; Bluewater now assists men in finding sober homes under new ownership, while Hive provides living quarters specifically for women. The residents who receive these services often identify the many unsung heroes in their recovery journey and actively seek ways to express thanks, signaling significant personal growth. For many, transitioning from being at rock bottom to wanting to give back to the community represents a profound transformation that resonates deeply with everyone involved. One mental health professional shared the unique challenges of this line of work, noting that unlike previous jobs where one could disconnect at home, this role requires constant availability for issues ranging from client relapses to facility maintenance. Despite these demands, the collaborative spirit in the county thrives, with organizations working together seamlessly to support each other and the people they serve. Seeing individuals who were once struggling now coming together to celebrate their progress and support others demonstrates the power of community collaboration and the tangible success of their shared efforts. Ultimately, the event underscored that recovery is a multifaceted process involving many pieces of the puzzle, from outpatient treatment to housing stability and emotional support. The fact that formerly struggling individuals are now eager to contribute to their community and celebrate those who helped them is seen as an amazing sign of healing and resilience. Through this collective effort, the Brainerd Lakes Area continues to foster an environment where people can thrive, proving that when a community comes together with kindness and dedication, it creates lasting positive change for everyone involved.

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The Brainerd Lakes Area community got together to show support for those helping individuals work toward recovery and improve mental health. Reporter Miles Walker stopped by the Bluewater Retreat and Hive House Community Appreciation cookout for the story. >> First responders, law enforcement workers, social workers, mental health professionals, and more all received their flowers via the Bluewater Retreat and Hive Recovery House Community Appreciation cookout. >> as a secluded invitation, uh social workers, jail, chemical dependency counselors, just a really close knit of people, but then we started to realize that there's so many more pieces to the puzzle for people's recovery. And so with that, people reached out wanting to help, people reached out wanting to be a part of it. >> Both the Bluewater Retreat and the Hive Recovery House primarily serve community members in active recovery. Bluewater, now under new ownership, helps men find sober homes, while Hive helps women find sober living quarters. >> I've worked in mental health over 20 years, but I've always had a job where I could go home at the end of the night and turn my phone off. This job is not that way. I go home and I get calls all throughout the night, whether it's pertaining to relapses a client is having, or, you know, plumbing issues. This does now take up a lot of my life. >> And it was the residents that received service from those working in recovery who identified the many people in the area making a difference in their lives and looked for ways to say thank you. >> That tells me there's a lot of growth in their recovery. A lot of times coming out of recovery, like you have no one to even associate with anybody. You're going to outpatient treatment because you have to, you know. So for these guys to want to give back to the community and come together and want to do this, like it's amazing. >> The Bluewater Retreat and the Hive Recovery House share similar missions, as both organizations aim to help individuals build foundations towards leading a substance-free life. >> There's a lot of different aspects to somebody's recovery growing. So when you see that and you are a piece of it, it's great. But, even when you see it and you weren't a piece of it, but you seen that person 5 months ago and you seen them like they were probably at rock bottom, it hits a chord with all of us. Collaboration is key to success in this county and community collaborates really well. >> Reporting in Brainerd, Miles Walker, Lakeland News. And around 70 community members in all stopped by the cookout. >> Lakeland News is a nonprofit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.