Executive Director Updates

For almost 4 years we have embarked on a monumental effort to transform the way we approach addiction-related illness in our society. The results move us every day.

When Mark Ursino and I began talking about the Climbing Out Of Homelessness program and transform it into a viable non-profit to tackle addiction recovery, I couldn’t have imagined the journey we were about to take. All along it was a labor of love and an effort to bring the organization to a place of maturity where it could grow, thrive, and serve more people than we ever could have initially imagined. That day we envisioned has now arrived and it’s time for a full-time team to take us to the next level.

Over the last few months, the board has embarked on interviewing and hiring a new full-time team to take our programs to the next level. I am beyond pleased to introduce you to our new CEO and Executive Director, Brooke Russell who will lead the team which now consists of Maury Robertson as Director of Investments and Partnerships and Jess Villarreal as Senior Program Manager. These dynamic individuals are beyond excited for this adventure and are already making waves and translating their ideas into meaningful program enhancements. To learn more about our new team members, please visit our Team Page on the website.

Nate Lanting will be moving to new adventures in his life and career starting in June. For the last 3 1/2 years, he has served as our fearless Program Manager, leading all operational duties and ensuring that a nurturing and caring environment is in place through all of our programs and activities. He has made the monumental climb both literally and figuratively, over-and-over. His work and dedication to building a robust volunteer network and a pack of enthusiastic supporters have made this organization what it is today. His mentorship has meant meaningful sobriety for many individuals who have gone through the program. He will be greatly missed, but will always have a place and a home at Recovery Beyond where we know his legacy will leave a lasting impact.

As I move into retirement, I will continue to serve on the board of Recovery Beyond. I look forward to being a source of guidance and support as this amazing team ramps up their efforts and brings us to a whole new playing field of non-profit growth.

As we make this leap forward, I want to issue a challenge to you. A challenge to reach deep, even in this difficult and uncertain times, and make a contribution to this worthy cause. In honor of Nate, myself, or a loved one who has been impacted by the ravaging effects of addiction-related illnesses.

William (Bill) Haines, Jr.

The passing of a loved one is always difficult to write about. It is a privilege to be able to write about a beautiful life as well as a life that is well-lived. And while I personally don’t feel like words will ever carry enough weight to balance out grief, I sincerely hope that they will help preserve the memory and honor of an amazing and selfless individual, Bill Haines Jr.

On July 24^th, Recovery Beyond lost a dear friend, William “Bill” Haines Jr. Bill and Gina, (Recovery Beyond’s Executive Director), had been married for 42 years. They raised three children together and had recently welcomed their second grandson this summer.  Bill was a founding member of Recovery Beyond and served on the organization’s Board of Directors as corporate secretary. He cared deeply for the mission of the organization and wanted to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Throughout his life, Bill dedicated much of his time to serving others through his work in the Catholic church, scouting, (Bill and both of his sons were Eagle Scouts), and many other charitable organizations. He loved being with his family.  For him, faith in God was the foundation upon which everything else was built.

When I first met Bill, he stood up from his desk, shook my hand, and warmly said to me, “You look familiar.” I had never met him before but was glad that I had the opportunity to do so when meeting with Gina one day. Bill was a nice man and had a very caring demeanor about him. That first impression is how I came to know Bill and how I will always remember him.

As we close out the year, we reflect on the incredible and inspiring life that Bill led. We miss him dearly and will continue to honor him through the work we do in our organization. As an organization that is focused on building community, we are there for each other, as a support system, as friends, as family.

Bill & Gina Haines

For anyone who is experiencing grief: we know it is powerful. The desire to mask it with drugs and alcohol can be intense. I believe that contained within the idea of grief are some of the strongest, heaviest, most complex and uncomfortable feelings we are forced to navigate as humans.  Feeling what we need to feel and identifying what we need during a tough time is healthy. Having a support system in place is important, even if that support system is one person. The grieving process is a series of stages that don’t have a specific time frame or set of rules. However, out of grief emerges some of the strongest, most resilient people, people who do incredible things to honor those that they love. Grief is often the fuel used to change the world.

Our deepest condolences go out to Gina and her family, their close friends, and loved ones.

William W. Haines Jr., January 21, 1954 – July 24, 2019

https://www.flintofts.com/obituary/William-Waldron-Haines-Jr/Bellevue-Washington/1854496

Want to get involved with Recovery Beyond and aren’t sure where to start?

How about becoming a Recovery Beyond Fundraiser and starting your own campaign?  You can help others live healthy lifestyles for lasting recovery by setting up your own fundraiser today. What you do matters and has a greater ripple effect than you’ll ever know. We know YOU can make a difference in helping us achieve our mission. You’re just a few clicks away from helping someone change their life.

We are excited to implement our new fundraising kit here at Recovery Beyond. This kit is available to anyone who would like to fundraise with us. It’s simple and easy to use. You’ll be given the tools you need to be successful at fundraising.

Need a reason to fundraise? Fundraisers are a thoughtful way to memorialize a loved one, to celebrate a birthday or special occasion, and so much more. Are you riding in a race, running a long course, climbing a mountain, wanting to support those in recovery, or simply just being an amazing human being through your mere existence? Get others involved in what you’re doing and start a campaign today.

All campaigns benefit Recovery Beyond. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your interest in helping us achieve our mission of helping others live healthy lifestyles through lasting recovery.

We can’t wait to see you achieve your fundraising goals and will be here to support you along the way!

To get started, view the Fundraising Kit.

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama

So, you love to climb, you love supporting our recovery climbers, and you’re a big fan of the work of Recovery Beyond? Well, now’s your chance to wear that pride with the introduction of our new shop! We just launched a series of products that highlight our new brand and we think you’ll love them!

The new shop benefits our recovery climbers and our programs. We curated a range of clothing options, a motivational poster, coffee mug, and some great hats for your next climb.

Check out the store and show your support for Recovery Beyond! We also invite you to tag @recoverybp when sporting your favorite Recovery Beyond logo wear, we’d love to see your new threads.

Unisex t-shirt in true-royal blue featuring our tagline “Health Lifestyles for Lasting Recovery” on the back and our logo on the front. $30

15 ounce coffee mug with our climber motif and a wrap of mountains to our Recovery Beyond Logo on the reverse side. $15

American Apparel T-Shirt with the Mountain emblem on the front. $30

Unisex beenies in three colors – grey and white (shown) and navy with embroidered Recovery Beyond Logo. $20

Check out the entire line today!

We’re thrilled, literally and figuratively, to announce that High Trek Adventures is offering a promotional discount for anyone wanting to book an event with the company. Even better, they will be making a 10% donation to Recovery Beyond to support our recovery climbers and program participants.

If you are looking for a great place to have a team event that is lots of; full of energy and that everyone will love, this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. If you have not been to High Trek Adventures, then you are missing a great adventure. Brad Halbach and his team offer an entire adventure park that is great for team building events or just a day of fun.

Want to know more? Check out this video they created for the promotion.

Click below to learn more about the promotion details and timing. Don’t miss out on a fantastic team or family event!

The team at Cora+Krist worked closely with Recovery Beyond leadership to determine the logical steps for evolving the Recovery Beyond Paradigm name and its program Climbing Out Of Homelessness. The next iteration had to be instantly recognizable and relatable to what the organization had already established. With so much great visibility from the Now This and REI films the organization was presented to 1 million people and their very active base came to identify with Recovery Beyond Paradigm, staying familiar was a key requirement.

Any change we took, needed to ensure that we paid tribute to the bold vision of Mark Ursino when he and Mike Johnson set out to create Climbing Out of Homelessness around a truly monolithic physical feat; climbing Mount Rainier. The original Climbing Out of Homelessness program logo encompassed a team of climbers scaling the mountain; the mountain had to continue to play an important part in the brand going forward.

Expanded Meaning in the New Brand

In any tough decision, the simplest path is usually best. It was natural for us to simply shorten the old Recovery Beyond Paradigm, to Recovery Beyond. It preserves established brand cache and value and helps position the organization for the next step in its evolution. We continue to help people move through recovery to their next stage of life; to a better self… to what’s ‘beyond’ addiction and homelessness.

Much in the same way, the Climbing Out Of Homelessness program naturally evolved to Climbing Out. Addiction is one of the root causes of homelessness, we work to alleviate addiction. Preventing addiction and homelessness remains our overall goal. So if there is no addiction problem, there is less of a chance of ending up homeless. It still represents the literal and figurative metaphor around the climb that our participants make on their journey out of addiction. Whether that climb is literally up the mountains in Seattle’s backyard or that climb is represented through other equally demanding physical activities – the struggles and triumphs are very much the same.

Logo Evolution for Recovery Beyond

For the new logo, we took to heart that we are evolving the organization; the evolution of an established presence. In that spirit, we sought to honor the key elements already employed; such as colors and typography, gracefully elevate these to evolve to a more quickly identifiable look.

The result is a logo that, with a simpler name in place, balances on the bold variation of the typeface and incorporates the mountain so that the spirit of our founder’s original vision forms the foundation and reminder of where the organization started.
Graphic Design Elements Explained

Additional elements that you will see added to the brand include several gradients that emulate the start and finish of a person’s journey to sobriety. You will see these as subtle overlays on elements across our materials and within important activity buttons on the website.

Yellow to Blue illustrates the beginning of the journey to sobriety as the dawn of a new day.

The orange to yellow represents the fiery sunset experienced as one completes the journey.

The Story Of A Climb Through Photographs

Imagery has been refreshed in both historical photos provided by Mark Ursino, founder of Recovery Beyond and the photographs captured by Greg Balkin over the course of 2018 climb year. Together these images tell a visual story of our program; of the people who go through this journey and the countless volunteers that make it all happen.

Image from a 2018 climb with the new dawn gradient overlay.

A New Tagline

Our new tagline perfectly captures who we are and what we’re about going forward:

Healthy Lifestyles for Lasting Recovery

This is really what we’re all about and as our programs begin to grow and evolve you’ll start to see this in action. We’re expanding beyond mountaineering to embark on numerous activities that help our participants embrace a healthy lifestyle. We know the key to lasting recovery is in living a healthy lifestyle and having a community to share it with. It’s a simple statement, but one that is direct and packed with meaning.

The final brand identity is a culmination of intensified thought, powerful meaning, and emphatic dedication. This will be a powerful imprint that will continue to impact the lives of many who wish to embark on a climb like no other in their life, centered around a healthy lifestyle and a supportive community, to reach lasting recovery. Building a better future starts with the first step.

Are you planning to attend the San Gennaro Festival? If you are, stop by the booth “Ursino Cugini Pizzelles” or the wine garden and enjoy a great Italian cookie favorite – the Pizzelle! Cookie sales support Recovery Beyond and of course, donations are welcome.

Here are the details

San Gennaro Festival
September 7th through 9th

1225 S. Angelo Street
Seattle, WA  98108

Hours:

Friday from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday from 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Thanks for your support.

Our Climbing Out  Program teaches our participants interpersonal skills and the value of building healthy relationships. We are very excited to extend similar ideas out into our community by announcing our first seminar series, Effective Communication: Tips for Speaking Intentionally, presented by Jenni Butz. Jenni is a former foreign language teacher, who presents lectures and workshops on communication throughout the United States and Europe. Jenni believes that “when we learn, everybody wins.”

Communication can be complex. Learning to communicate effectively is important for maintaining strong and successful relationships in different areas of your life. Ever feel like your conversations end in frustration? Or that you avoid having confrontational conversations? Join us for this workshop where you will learn to minimize misunderstandings while also learning to speak with truth, respect, and confidence. By improving your ability to communicate, you will have conversations that will result in action and understanding.

This lecture is for anyone interested in improving their ability to speak intentionally. There are two dates available: Saturday, August 11, from 9 am to 12 pm. To register today, click here (https://recoverybp.org/seminar-series/)

Please check out Jenni’s website to learn more about this amazing woman and the work she does: (https://www.thewordspark.com)

Helen Keller said – “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”

We do have so much to be grateful for. #Giving Tuesday is a follow-up to the mass purchasing behavior we exhibit on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Its purpose is to focus our attention on deserving non-profits who do so much to help our community; more than we know or can calculate. It’s a two-way street, we support them and they provide an outlet for issues we are passionate about, but may not have the time to get actively involved with. Regardless of your reasons, supporting these groups provides for needs that otherwise would go unmet. People depend on non-profits to fill the gap left where social services offered by our government agencies leave off. These same non-profits depend on public donations to keep their doors open and welcome those in dire straits.

This year we are proud to be part of that group of non-profits providing a lifeline to those trying to escape the pull of addiction; people who don’t have anywhere else to turn. Like other non-profits, we can’t survive without the generosity of people of good will. People who know that by becoming a more caring community we can do tremendous things.

Why is giving a good thing? The heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised to be healthy and working up to capacity. Our ability to give is one measure of how well our heart (and conscious) is working. There have been many studies touting the benefits of giving and volunteering time; apart from the physical and emotional benefits, the connections we make are very rewarding for those we serve. These social connections are very good for us, too. They keep us engaged and learning; while providing support for others, they help us gain or strengthen skills. During the holiday season, it’s good to assess where we are giving and where we could be giving more of our treasure or our time. It is ‘with and through community’ that we can make the largest impact; where we can share the wisdom we have gained and offer consolation for those who are working to regain control of their lives.

Please consider the many ways you can become part of our Community of Compassion. Compassion is defined as sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Recovery Beyond’s goal through our Community of Compassion members is to make homelessness due to alcohol or drug addiction a thing of the past. We assist with a therapeutic approach to sustained recovery and reentry into society during our 10-month program. Please find joy in giving to the non-profits of your choice. Our Climbing Out Program is one place that will make good use of your donations.

Learn more about what we do at Recoverybp.org to get involved or to get help.

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Our first movie night was held on September 17th at Mary, Queen of Peace Church in Sammamish, Washington. This event kicks off our fundraising cycle for the next program year which begins in October.

We had the opportunity to tell the Climbing Out story to people who were very interested in helping those struggling with permanent housing and the reasons for it. Addictions of all types drag people down. Addiction destroys self-esteem, relationships and families, and causes a host of physical, emotional and mental problems. The Climbing Out program offered by Recovery Beyond offers a holistic approach to the needs of each individual. This approach addresses the priorities in the next stage of treatment and recovery. Working with our partner missions, we can accomplish more in the year or two when we join together in working with clients.

Our volunteers and mentors walk the journey with our clients as friends and a source of wisdom, experience, and support. These relationships are a very significant part of achieving long-lasting results. We can’t thank our volunteers enough for the love and care they provide.

While we are still developing a full set of metrics to track progress and overall success, we know that the Climbing  Out program works because our clients are the proof. Not only do they complete their treatment program, but many come back joining next year’s program as a volunteer and mentor; supporting others through the perilous journey to sobriety. This Community of Compassion is what you join when you support us with your ongoing gift of time, treasure or equipment.

Some of the program participants attended this event; sharing their story and the impact the program had in their lives. We hope that this message of hope shared through personal stories in the film will foster increased giving offering grow the programs Recovery Beyond sponsors.