JHW Foundation Supporters,

 It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over!  It has been an exciting past year for the JHW Foundation as we have seen the fruits of our labor blossom across the state.  Collegiate Recovery is gaining momentum at universities across the state and we are excited to be able to support Virginia’s first recovery high school which will open in Chesterfield this fall. Your generous support has allowed us to continue providing critical funding for these lifesaving programs.

Collegiate Recovery Alumni

One of our greatest joys is to get to meet the people who have received support from us for recovery housing or have been participants in Collegiate Recovery Programs(CRP) we support. The investment we are making in Collegiate Recovery is forming the backbone of the larger recovery movement.  Recently, we have connected with an alumna, Jen Hall, who is going to be running the Recovery Program at the University of Virginia, and another who is working at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.  Our grantee schools report that numerous recent graduates are doing the hard work of recovery coaching and addictions counseling at private and public agencies across the Commonwealth and across the US, while we also have recent grads at the Department of Justice, and the United Nations!  Alumni started careers in real estate, accounting, engineering and numerous other professions.  Our young people in recovery bring such a tremendous amount of light and hope to the world whether they choose to work in the helping profession or not and we are proud to celebrate their accomplishments.

 Collegiate Recovery Across the State

Through your support, the JHW Foundation continues to champion Collegiate Recovery at VCU and at Schools across the state.  With the addition of three new programs this fall at University of Lynchburg, Wytheville Community College, and New River Valley Community College, the count of CRPs in Virginia is up to 11.  The JHW Foundation is proud to support each of these efforts and is pleased to see the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services SOR Team continue to invest in these programs.

●       The Recovery Scholars Program, which started in part with funds from JHW, launched in spring of 2019 with 17 students.  Thanks to your continuing support, the program now supports more than 70 students at schools across the state with scholarships, recovery groups and academic support.  The program has been replicated at Virginia Tech.

●       Additionally, efforts at programs across the state have blossomed this past school year, with more than 50 students graduating from Collegiate Recovery Programs across the state.

●      We also helped host the 2022 Association of Recovery in Higher Education Conference at VCU in June.  This annual gathering which includes Recovery High Schools and Collegiate Recovery Programs, brought more than 400 professionals from across the country to grow these movements.

 Recovery High Schools

Looking ahead we are incredibly excited to support the new Recovery High School, Chesterfield Recovery Academy, which will open this fall as a regional hub for adolescent recovery.  The school is a result of years of local advocacy by parents, recovery organizations, and administrators and we are proud to be part of the effort.

Grief

While the past year has offered much joy as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates, Johnny and I are too often consoling other parents who share our experience of loss.  Unfortunately, despite the progress in many areas of treatment and recovery, America’s opioid epidemic continues to worsen with back to back years of record high overdose deaths.  There has never been a more critical time for the work that we do.

 We remain so grateful for your continued support of young adults seeking recovery, and hope you will continue to join us in our investment in recovery.  Johnny and I look forward to seeing you at the Oyster Roast on November 12th.

 Sincerely,

 Roz and Johnny