Why It Matters: A Word from the Founder
That’s me on a swing.
I’m Josh Lawson, the founder of Recover Appalachia. My children inspire me to do all sorts of things, many of which will have me throwing my back out if I’m not careful.
But my kids are my “why.” They are the reason I get up and go to work every day. My driving passion is to create a world that is better than the one I inherited so that my kids will have every opportunity in life to thrive.
In its own way, that is what motivated me to start Recover Appalachia. Back in 2018, I hit a personal rock bottom of sorts. I’ll spare you the details, but it was dark, and try as I might, I just couldn’t pull myself out of it.
That is, until two men came into my life. Two men who gave me the tools I needed to get back on my feet. Two men who happened to be in active recovery from substance use disorder - aka drug addiction.
Both those guys had reached multiple points in their own lives when many people in society would have written them off entirely, saying things like, “Lock them up and throw away the key,” or “Narcan them once, but then let them die.”
Yet they found their way out of their hell hole, fortunately for me, because they brought back a special insight that had the power to help this poor normie face down his own inner demons.
I am grateful.
Later on, I got involved in the world of recovery, first as a community organizer, then as an author, and then as a pastor. One career move turned into another, and the ball just keeps rolling.
People wondered why. After all, this isn’t the kind of work you do for money or fame. But it occurred to me that it probably had something to do with those two guys. They helped me in a way that no one else could, and ever since then, I’ve been doing my best to return the favor.
I believe that we’re all in recovery from something, and that those who are coming back from a substance use disorder have a unique experience that could transform our world for good if they were just given the opportunity to use them.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. There are barriers in the way, some external and some internal, that keep many of our friends and family from becoming the best versions of themselves.
I’m here today thanks to the help I received from two “junkies” who got it together and passed on the insights they learned in their recovery. I believe that every person out there with a needle in their arm right now has the same potential to create a better world for us and our children.
That is why Recover Appalachia exists, and that is what I am doing here. To learn more about the big picture vision and mission, please watch this introductory video.
Dynamic outcomes await.
Let’s work together. Contact us to learn more.