Donor Impact

The Washington Hikers and Climbers (WHC) Facebook group has raised almost $12,000 for Recovery Beyond in memory of our friend and supporter Ann Nelson.

Ann, a moderator for WHC, tragically lost her life in August 2019 while hiking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Her sudden passing touched many people around the world including those in the hiking and climbing community. We were honored to be chosen by WHC moderators to be the beneficiary of a Facebook fundraiser in her memory.

In addition to being an experienced northwest hiker and climber, Ann was a brilliant physicist and generous community supporter. She believed in providing opportunities for those who are disadvantaged, marginalized, or facing discrimination. Ann clearly lived beyond herself, and this was evident by the outpouring of support the WHC fundraiser received. Contributions rolled in quickly, and the fundraising goal of $10,000 was achieved in just over a week.

Ann became a strong advocate of our work after learning about us from McKenzie Johnson, one of our “super” volunteers. “Ann saw me posting on WHC and followed our Facebook page after that. She was a believer in Recovery Beyond, and me, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that,” McKenzie says. “She was the one who was behind WHC allowing us to post about Recovery Beyond on their page.”

“The first thing we did was ask for gear donations. When we do mountaineering activities, we have to outfit everyone with hiking boots, helmets, and other equipment. We’ll take anything that’s in good condition,” says Nate Lanting, Program Manager for Recovery Beyond. “WHC was having a social, and they let us use that event as a gear drop. All the moderators were on board, but Ann was the champion.”

As a young nonprofit, we were consistently encouraged by Ann and her husband David’s constant support for our program and participants. “Although Ann wasn’t in recovery herself, she connected with the idea of healing and addiction recovery through the outdoors,” Nate says. “One thing that is true of anyone in addiction recovery is the necessity to heal from pain in life. There’s no doubt that she connected with this sentiment and understood it.”

To date, the WHC fundraiser in remembrance of Ann Nelson has raised almost $12,000 for Recovery Beyond. These funds will be directed toward developing a new program, Climbing Up, which will be available to the broader recovery community throughout King and Pierce Counties.

Thank you to everyone who donated for your generous support. We will continue to honor Ann’s memory through bringing people to the outdoors for their health and wholeness.

If you’d like to make a donation in Ann’s memory, you can do so at: https://donate.recoverybp.org/campaigns/in-remembrance-of-ann-nelson/. 

“Usually, when I tell someone I climb mountains with “former addicts”, I get a response along the lines of, ‘That’s so cool! If you can climb a mountain, you can do anything, right?!’ Well, yes… and no. Reaching the summit of a big peak is incredible. For most of our recovery climbers, it’s something they would never have a chance to do outside this program. But if you ask any of these men or women what the true benefit is, they’ll tell you it’s about the team. […] It is my deep honor to journey with them as they continue to climb the greatest mountain of their lives – overcoming what led them to addiction and choosing to pursue healthy relationships and a life of sobriety. They are truly my heroes.” – Amelia, Fundraising climber

Amelia is just one of seven fundraising climbers that participated in the Mount Rainier Fundraising climb this year. From May 16 -19, 2019, seven of our climbers, Abi Brewer, Camiya Brown, Christopher Poulos, Nate Lanting, Scott Brown, Amelia Kaiser, and Becky Vinson embarked on a climb of 14,411’ Mount Rainier to fundraise for Recovery Beyond. To date, gifts from 133 donors have been received and funds will go toward supporting our recovery program participants and expanding our programs.

We are blown away by this support and are filled to the brim with gratitude.

Though the climb itself is over, you can still contribute to our individual climber’s fundraising pages. Every fundraising climber has a reason for participating. Fundraising climber Christopher Poulos states, “The outdoors remains an essential component to my recovery and has helped me find both peace and community.”

While you graciously consider a donation that will reshape a life, let us give you a glimpse into the type of community we are building and the supportive network we have by sharing details of this fundraising climb.

For our climbers, it wasn’t about the summit.  It was about the journey, raising awareness for addiction recovery, and creating a sober community.

DAY 1 – International Mountain Guides (IMG) HQ

The first day was spent at the International Mountain Guides (IMG) headquarters. The constant rain meant snow at higher elevations, and increased snow meant increased safety concerns. Spirits remained high though and everyone kept their fingers crossed for better conditions. The group arrived at the IMG HQ around 2 PM, spent time getting to know each other, talked about their favorite dinosaurs, and then met with Willie Webster, their lead guide at IMG. Together, they reviewed trip details, the itinerary, weather report, and leave no trace principles. Three hours were spent doing a gear check.

A delicious dinner at Wildberry, a Nepalese restaurant, followed. The fundraising climbers received a Recovery Beyond Beanie (check out our store to purchase your own), water bottle, and a personalized “thank you” note from Nate, Recovery Beyond’s Program Manager, and fellow fundraising climber. The group ordered food and sat around the table sharing who they were, how they got plugged into Recovery Beyond, and why they were participating in the fundraising climb. The evening wrapped up and everyone returned to Lazy Bear Creek Cabin, a beautiful and quaint Air BnB cabin along a creek. A quick dip in the cabin’s hot tub ended the day.

The rain continued to pour all night.

DAY 2 – To Camp Muir -10,080′

The climbers woke up at 6 AM, had breakfast, and returned to the IMG HQ by 7:30 AM with their bags packed and bellies full. They were ready to start the climb! They set out from IMG around 8:30 AM and arrived at Paradise (5,400’ elevation) at 9:15 AM.  At Paradise, it was cold, snowing, and the wind was blowing. The group sauntered over to a breezeway by the ranger station and readied themselves by putting on their boots, hard shell jackets and pants to keep dry, and sunscreen (even with clouds there’s still a possibility of getting sunburned).

Photo courtesy Nate Lanting

At 10:00 AM, the group began the first part of the climb up to Camp Muir at 10,080’. After an hour of hiking, they paused to take a break. One of the fundraising climbers, Camiya, had to turn around due to exhaustion. She joined another IMG group that was going through snow school at lower elevations. The group pressed on, taking breaks as needed. Around 9,000’, they were above the clouds, and what a sight it was to see! The sun broke out and the top of Rainier stood before them in all her glory. The rest of the hike to Muir was beautiful. The views were incredible, and everyone took their time so they could enjoy the experience.

Photo courtesy Amelia Kaiser

They reached Camp Muir at 4 PM and settled into their own bunkhouse. An hour later, the IMG guides came and got them and took them on a short hike to IMG Weatherport, which included kitchen and seating. Massive burritos were served for dinner. Scott Brown and Chris Poulos ate not one, not two, but -three- full burritos. Hot cocoa and hot tea followed, and a discussion about next day ensued. The night ended around 7 PM when everyone returned to their bunkhouse. By 9 PM, all were sleeping and skies were clear.

Photo courtesy Amelia Kaiser

Photo courtesy Amelia Kaiser

DAY 3 – To Ingraham Flats Camp – 11,100′

Everyone arose at 7 am and packed their gear. It was cool outside, the skies were clear, and there were picturesque views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount Saint Helens. A delectable and sizeable breakfast at IMG Weatherport consisting of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and French press coffee was consumed. The climbers reviewed the plan for the day: Snow school first from 9 AM- 12 PM and then a hike to “the flats” camp.

Snow school was educational. Each hour consisted of a different topic. First: using crampons, or “crampon-ing”. The climbers learned and practiced different waling techniques, such as the importance of good footwork. Second: using an ice ax and learning how to “self-arrest”. Everyone practiced self-arresting with their ice ax and feet (without crampons). A quick snack break came next, and the third hour started: Everyone put on avalanche beacons (a required practice from guided companies above Camp Muir), their crampons, and tied into the rope. Time was spent learning how to travel on the rope, and once everyone was comfortable, they headed up to “The Flats” camp. They hiked across the Cowlitz Glacier and then up through Cathedral Gap, taking time to enjoy the views of Little Tahoma. Fifteen minutes of hiking later and the group arrived at Ingraham Flats Camp.

It was beautiful up there. There were jaw-dropping views of Little Tahoma and the upper mountain. Ingraham Flats Camp was everyone’s favorite part of the trip and was an “epic” spot to camp.

Photo courtesy Nate Lanting

Photo courtesy Nate Lanting

Photo courtesy Nate Lanting

Everyone settled into their IMG tents, and around 5 PM, they gathered at the IMG kitchen tent for another delicious dinner: Macaroni and cheese, vegetables, and, of course, a healthy amount of hot sauce. There was talk of the mountain conditions and the climb beginning at 2 AM the next morning. That’s when the climbers received an update on their climb. Willie Webster and the other guides shared how “loaded” the mountain was with snow, unfortunately making it unsafe to travel to the summit. Two guides had observed and cut in a trail to 12,500, making it the new climbing goal for the Recovery Beyond fundraising climbers.

Were the climbers disappointed? Somewhat, but the weather was out of everyone’s control and they knew the chance for a summit bid would be very low because of it. Mount Rainier has a weather system all her own. Our fundraising climbers made the most of this trip, though. The point of the trip was not to summit, but to raise awareness and funds for addiction recovery. They learned as much as they could from their guides, laughed a whole lot, built relationships, and made incredible memories.

“The main goal that this climb embodied was to create a sober community, both through fundraising and living it on the trip. We connected, had fun and enjoyed the adventure, all while being sober. The summit was just a bonus” – Nate Lanting

DAY 4 – Summit & Back Home – 11,500′

Photo courtesy Nate Lanting.

At 2 AM, Willie woke everyone up. It had started snowing at 8 PM, about two hours after everyone had gone to sleep, and by that time, there was a new foot of snow on the ground. The group prepped their glacier gear, headed over to the kitchen tent for oatmeal and coffee, put on their glacier gear setup, and readied themselves to safely go as far as possible through the new snow. Helmet, headlamp, harness, goggles, hard shells, ice axe, crampons, heavy gloves – check, all on. They began their trek through the snowy, blizzard-like, dark night. After twenty minutes, Willie, the lead guide, called it. There was just too much new snow and it was unsafe. The team topped out at 11,500’ and then headed back to camp to sleep for a couple hours until first light.
When there was light, the climbers began their descent, first setting down the mountain back toward Camp Muir, arriving there at 7:30 AM. Visibility was low, the wind was blowing, and it was snowing. A warm breakfast of pancakes and coffee at Weatherport provided a nice break from the elements before heading back down to Paradise. There were whiteout conditions until 7,500’, but the guides were able to navigate well using GPS tracking.
Our fundraising climbers made it back down to Paradise at 12:15, feeling happy, thankful, and proud. By 1:15 PM, they had arrived back at IMG HQ, had a short debriefing, award ceremony, and an opportunity to share what the climb meant for everyone. All the fundraising climbers were thankful they were able to raise money to support addiction recovery. “Thank you’s” were shared with their guide, IMG, and with each other. A quick team photo and final goodbyes were met with “Let’s do this again!”

“It was a fun climb even without the summit.  We all knew we were physically ready but the weather had another plan for us.  The IMG experience was incredible.  They communicate well, train us properly while allowing adequate time for rest and certainly having hot, fresh meals available to us was a bonus.  The climb was great because normally most of us are volunteers on Recovery Beyond climbs/hikes and wear some type of leadership hat.  This climb we got to kind of “let our hair down” and climb as friends.  It was great.  I felt like there wasn’t a better group of people to share this experience with.  I also loved that we all had the common goal of fundraising for Recovery Beyond.  It’s always more fun to climb with a purpose.” – Becky Vinson

Photo courtesy Becky Vinson

While the climb is over, the fundraising continues. YOU can donate today to create healthy lifestyles for lasting recovery.

Successful recovery for an individual requires a community that supports healthy lifestyles. This is where Recovery Beyond comes in and provides a cost-effective solution to a growing concern in our communities, easing costs on our taxpayers. An 85{637c4c527fde39f83a380e19107d2ba88ad72607f37ccf8f8b7edeff1c20688c} success rate shows that what we are doing is working. We have a solution, but we need your support. We need to take action today and reduce the high addiction rates and chances of relapse.

“There’s just something about the outdoors! I am approaching almost 7 years sober and it’s obvious the difference it makes to my state of mind when I get outside either on my own or with the group. Volunteering with Recovery Beyond is not only beneficial to the sobriety of those involved but incredibly important for my own recovery as well. With Recovery Beyond I’ve found a place to belong. With Recovery Beyond I’ve found a family. To be added to their Climb Team means so much. Not just about going up Rainier but getting to be a part of this program and supporting everything it stands for. Thank you for your support!!!” -Scott B., Fundraising Climber

Donate today – because every person with an addiction deserves to live a healthy lifestyle for lasting recovery.

• The Mount Si Gift: $50 – This provides 1 program participant monthly mentorship
• The Loowit Gift: $100 – This provides 1 recovery hiker, hiking gear, 6 recovery-based hikes in the northwest, and the leadership support to do so.
• The Dakobed Gift: $250 – This provides 1 recovery climber that opportunity to go on a 3-day backpacking trip in the northwest, with a team of experts, recovery support, and all the equipment and wrap around support to do so.
• The Kulshan Gift: $500 – This provides 1 recovery climber that opportunity to climb to the top of Mt. Baker with a team of experts, recovery support, and all the equipment and wrap around support to do so.
• The Pahto/Klickitat Gift: $1,000 – Provides 5 months of recovery based mountaineering programming, including 6 training hikes, 2 educational seminars, and 2 mountaineering trips to one person in addiction recovery
• The Tahoma Gift: $5,000 – One calendar year of outdoor recovery & therapy, through weekly fitness classes, monthly community hikes, mountaineering and backpacking expeditions, and recovery-based mentorship, for one person in addiction recovery

Check out individual fundraising pages to make your gifts.

Thank you for your help in creating healthy lifestyles for lasting recovery.

Please share this post on social media. Invite your friends to make a gift – no gift is too small and is greatly appreciated.

For GiveBIG this year, we are asking for your help.

The need for more recovery programs is greater than ever. Substance use is a major, ongoing, and growing concern in our families, social circles, and communities. The opioid epidemic is not getting any smaller. Other substance use is rampant. Addiction is a disease and we need more options to fight it.

Recovery Beyond offers a unique approach to recovery, going beyond the norm. Through mountaineering, exercise programs, hiking, backpacking, mentoring, and community support, Recovery Beyond offers a one-of-a-kind approach to recovery that is tailored toward the interests of our participants.

We help our program participants climb mountains both physically and metaphorically.

Sustained recovery through healthy lifestyles IS possible and IS what we do best. What we are doing is working and we see the need to continue growing.

Over 85% of our program participants have successfully achieved sobriety in a lasting and meaningful way over the past three years.

That is an incredible success rate and we want to continue to increase that rate by supporting the needs of our participants and community.

We are a solution. We provide a newfound sense of purpose and direction in life for our program participants. We build skills, confidence, endurance, and teamwork. Recovery Beyond is a positive community, a place where the human spirit is inspired, and the soul restored.

We need your help, though. Please consider a gift to Recovery Beyond for GiveBIG this year.

Your donation will help build, support, and expand our programs and services, as well as complement the efforts of established recovery programs (such as The Seattle Union Gospel Mission and The Tacoma Rescue Mission). GiveBIG 2019 is a twenty-four hour online giving event powered by 501 Commons that helps nonprofits raise funds to support their mission. Whether you gift ten dollars or a thousand dollars, every dollar matters in helping us transform lives.

From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank you for your generosity and support.

You can also donate directly via our “Donate” button at the top of this page.

From May 16-19th this year, a group of 7 supports of Recovery Beyond will embark on a climb of Mount Rainier. These individuals answered a call and challenge put forth by our founder, Mark Ursino over the past several months to dedicate themselves to this climb, and to raising money to support our efforts.

A big thank you to Abi Brewer, Camiya Brown, Christopher Poulos, Nate Lanting, Scott Brown, Amelia Kaiser, and Becky Vinson for stepping up to this challenge. Their efforts so far have resulted in over 100 individual donors for Recovery Beyond. The funds raised help support our efforts to reach and help even more recovery climbers and to grow our program.

Please consider making a contribution today to one of these Fundraiser Climbers and learn more about what motivates them on their campaigns. And beyond a donation, please tell your friends and family about this great and worthy cause. It’s our community of compassion that makes the difference every day and we are thankful for your spirit and action.

Here are some of the comments we’ve received from donors to the Fundraising Climb.

“Our daughter Amelia Kaiser volunteers with this amazing program. The stories of her time with Recovery Beyond have inspired us to support this wonderful group of people! We pray for all involved and encourage you to keep up the good work of changing lives for the better! God bless you!!!” – Elaine Klein

Visit Amelia’s Fundraising Page

“Recovery tools and creating a pathway to feeedom is important and crucial for the success of people. Thank you Christopher for making this fundraiser and bringing hope into the community.” – Carolina Landa

Visit Christopher’s Fundraising Page

“Scott Brown is someone who encourages all the program climbers. A joy to be around – glad to help!” – Price Taylor

Visit Scott’s Fundraising Page

“Go get it girl!” – Cheryl Ann

Visit Camiya’s Fundraising Page

“If anyone deserves to stand on that summit, YOU do!! It felt wrong for me to get to the summit last year while you didn’t. I am so proud of your tenacity and courage and I’m more than happy to help donate for your fund-raising climb in 2019. Godspeed, friend!” – Michele Arnold

Visit Abi’s Fundraising Page

 

Visit Matthew’s Fundraising Page

If you are interested in joining them, it may not be too late, but time is running out. Email Gina Haines at [email protected] for more information. Let’s celebrate their awesome commitment to a healthy lifestyle and supporting others in achieving it.

Anyone who grows up in the Seattle area is used to seeing the large visage of Mt. Rainier on the skyline (when weather permits, that is). Most of us glance at it with some sort of awe – but some of us have stronger feelings. “I see the mountain all the time and joke that I’m mad at it,” says Abi Brewer. Abi has made two attempts to climb the 14,000-foot peak; both were turned around due to unsafe conditions. But this spring she’s preparing for her third attempt, this time as a fundraiser for Recovery Beyond, the program that changed her life and started her mountaineering journey.

As recently as two and a half years ago, if you’d asked Abi about her mountain aspirations and accomplishments, the list would have been short. Although she grew up in the Seattle area, she had never been much of a hiker. A long-standing battle with alcoholism resulted in her losing her family and brought her to New Life in Tacoma, where she stumbled onto the Recovery Beyond climb team. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. “I hated it at first,” she said, “Everything was just so hard. I didn’t even like the hikes.” In the long run, however, some of the most miserable parts of her journey ended up being turning points. That year, their summit attempt of Mt. Hood was one of the most excruciating, throwing inclement weather and severe cold at a group of newbie hikers. “I have honestly never been so miserable in my life,” she says, “But I survived. That was what was empowering. I felt like such a badass just for having survived that discomfort.” That year she also bagged her first “big” peak, Mt. Baker, in similarly lackluster conditions: it was rainy, cold, and white-out conditions occluded all view. “I just cried. Like, how did I get here? It was not how I imagined my life would look.”

Abi with her brother at a recent event.

Now two years and three months sober and a New Life graduate, Abi continues to use the lessons she learned in the program in her day-to-day life. Exercise has become a mainstay of her anxiety-management protocol, as has the community she found at New Life. “Honestly, having that community is like, you need it in recovery. I wouldn’t have learned the importance of it without the New Life program and the Climb Team.” She and her husband are also in the midst of opening a tattoo parlor called “Northern Sanctuary Tattoo,” a risk she doesn’t feel she would have taken without having been through the program. “We see this company as a way to minister to people who might not have as much exposure to Christianity,” she says.

Abi also maintains her commitment to helping others achieve this same kind of transformation. “You get into rehab and you feel like you have nothing going for you. I just want to support people so they can get out and tell their story.”  Besides volunteering at New Life both in the climb team and by leading Bible studies, she has also chosen to join the fundraising climb of Mount Rainier. A team of 8 climbers, guided by IMG, is making a summit attempt on Mt. Rainier May 16-19 this year in honor of the Recovery Beyond program. Each climber’s donations will support two individuals in the Climbing Out program. For Abi, this cause is deeply personal. “Without the climb program, I wouldn’t feel as complete. It really made my quality of life as a sober person – I’m happy.”

So what better way to exact “revenge” on the mountain that has eluded her than to climb it in honor of a program that has meant so much to her? “I’m just hoping the third time’s a charm,” she jokes. 

Want to help Abi meet her goal? Check out her fundraising page below or join her on Sunday, February 24 at Northern Sanctuary Tatoo (her new studio) for a fundraising night featuring a screening of the film “A New High” as well as art by local artists and tattoos by donation. If you’d like to snag one of the last spots on the climb, details can be found on the Fundraising Climb page.

Charity isn’t a word you hear too often anymore. It carries the connotation of a hand-out; in the extreme, the concept of charity can infantilize those receiving it and make those giving it seem arrogant and aloof.

This shouldn’t be the case. Selfless giving and accepting gifts without shame are hallmarks of our humanity. There are people in our very own communities who truly need charitable giving now. Individuals and families who have no food, no home, and no means to meet their basic needs of survival.

Without charity, we would be literally leaving these people out in the cold.

It’s true, however, that this type of charity—giving that meets people’s basic and immediate needs—does not lead to long-term solutions for problems like homelessness and the addictions that often lie at its roots.

Charity is important and essential, and it’s just the beginning.

Community Investment for Lasting Relief, Growth, and Healing

Once basic needs are met, people can focus on making lifelong changes for more rewarding and community-driven lives. Resources to guide and promote these long-term changes are lacking, though.

That’s where Recovery Beyond is making a difference.

Through our current programs, Climbing Out and Team Mission, we provide individuals already succeeding in addiction recovery programs with an additional and lasting opportunity for growth.

In Climbing Out, ten months of team-building and intense physical and mental training culminates in a five-day hike to the summit of Mt. Rainier—an achievement that resonates for the rest of anyone’s life. Team Mission (our companion program at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission) achieves the same results through ongoing guidance in the sport of long-distance running, an activity that is more accessible yet demands equal commitment, endurance, and effort.

Reaching the peak and making it through that last mile are memorable rewards, but it’s the trek that makes it all worthwhile. It’s the new skills and perspectives climbers and runners build along the way that leads to new lives and new futures.

Homelessness and the substance dependency that often precedes and is exacerbated by it is a complex social and personal problem. Recovery Beyond addresses the personal aspects, empowering participants with better understandings of themselves and the extent of their capabilities.

Where charity leaves off, they learn to take the next steps, confident of the ground underneath their feet.

Ending Addiction, One Step At a Time

There are hundreds of thousands of homeless people and families in the United States, and more than twenty thousand in Washington State. More than 60{637c4c527fde39f83a380e19107d2ba88ad72607f37ccf8f8b7edeff1c20688c} of these people also suffer from substance dependency. Ending addiction is key to ending homelessness, and to mitigating an array of problems and behaviors detrimental to the community at large.

No single program can do it all. No single approach will be the key to success.

But the difficulty is no excuse, and we can do better.

If you’re interested in learning more about Recovery Beyond, making a contribution or even joining our Fundraising Climb to experience the life-changing Rainier summit for yourself, please click here to learn more.