September is recognized as National Recovery Month, a month to celebrate those in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. It is also a time to honor the lives we have lost to the disease of addiction. National Recovery Month is an important time to bring awareness to issues of addiction, and nobody on the University of Connecticut’s campus understands this message better than the UConn Recovery Community (URC).
For over 11 years, the URC has been providing essential services and support to the student body. Located at the Cordial Storrs House, the recovery community aims to guide students through the difficult process of starting their own recovery from addiction or other mental health issues. As a peer-based support program, the URC offers a variety of different meetings to student members throughout the week, in order to help students find out what works best for them and their recovery.
First walking into the Cordial Storrs House, you are immediately met with an inviting and friendly energy. This welcoming environment would not have been possible without the hard work of the staff at the URC, who are the first touchpoint for new students starting their recovery journey. Matt Gallup has been the director of the URC for a year and a half, and his passion for the job at hand is evident.
“The URC believes that you are in recovery when you say you’re in recovery, and that there are multiple pathways to get there,” said Gallup. “We provide educational training aimed primarily at reducing shame and stigma that continues to be coupled with substance misuse. The URC continues to put their best asset forward to lead, facilitate and provide support and resources.”
He continued, saying, “students support students, as well as share their experience, strength and hope with one another to build connections. They let others know they are not alone in where they have been and where they are going.”
Gallup also took time to remark on the activities being offered at the Cordial Storrs House this September.
“We have a ribbon activity currently going on at the house, where students can display different ribbons representing their loved ones,” he said. “There are three ribbons, one to celebrate someone in recovery, one for an intention of hope for loved ones to find recovery, and one representing someone who lost their battle to addiction. We are also planning to represent UConn at the CCAR Recovery Walk on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Bushnell Park in Hartford.”
The graduate students at the URC are another key element in the community. Leah Nelson and Alexandria Crawford are both graduate students at UConn and provide one-on-one recovery coaching to the students of the URC. Nelson said, “I love supporting students who are early in their recovery journeys. I was once in their shoes but didn’t have a place like the URC; I wish I did! It’s gratifying to see so many students coming together to support each other wherever they are in their journey.”
When asked about her favorite part of the job, Crawford said it is “the fun we have together. Whether we’re going to sports games, having dinner as a group, or having a dance party in the house — it’s always such a fun time. The house is often filled with laughter, and I think for students who are at times struggling with a lot of heavy stuff, that’s so important.”
However, the power of the community does not just extend to the staff of the URC. Countless students have been helped along their journey by the community created in the group. One student who wished to remain anonymous shared a piece of their inspiring story.
“I have been a member at the URC for four semesters, and I am currently in my fifth semester with the community,” the student said. “The URC really helped me with the transition from high school to college. I have autism and change can be difficult for me. My depression was pretty bad freshman year, and I continued to struggle with it. The graduate assistants and staff at the URC made me feel less alone and helped me find coping strategies to keep me on track. Just having the URC to rely on and find comfort in really helped me through that situation.”
When asked about their favorite part of the community, the student replied, “the URC is just a great community and environment. It’s full of people with positive vibes and energy, who are so helpful and want nothing but the best for you. If I could tell people one thing about the URC, it’s that we’ve got your back. We’ll support you and you’re not alone — no matter what your struggles may be.”