IMPACT

“I didn’t know it then, but that in-between time—between rehab and school—was the most critical part of my recovery. Early sobriety is one of the hardest things to go through. And I was a newly sober kid, in the middle of summer, with nothing to keep me occupied.I remember my first day at Bridges. That room, that community, those people—there’s a warmth there that’s unlike anything else. I was flooded with phone numbers, meetings, and connections. I was immediately pulled into this web of support I never even knew existed.”

“At 15, I overdosed, and my parents found me. This was a turning point for all of us. We began looking into treatment options, and shortly after, I went to rehab in California for two and a half months, followed by a partial hospitalization program. That’s when I found Bridges. Bridges gave me community, friendship, and connections to 12-step programs. At first, the program was very limited — it only had once-a-week meetings with minimal resources, and we had to meet outside due to COVID restrictions. Despite these limitations, Bridges was a sanctuary for me. It provided structure and support in place of the uncertainty and hopelessness that had dominated my life.”

“My mom found support through Bridges' parent program and connected with others who understood her. Slowly, I rebuilt my relationship with her. In June 2023, I graduated from IQA, sober. That fall, I started attending the University of Washington. Over the last two years, I’ve held a job consistently, worked hard in school, and made the Dean’s List.  None of this would have been possible without the people at Bridges, IQA, and the recovery community.”