Spirits were high on October 18, at Renascent’s 2022 Guardian Angel donor recognition event. Over 100 attendees celebrated both the generosity of donors and the recipients of two major awards in Renascent’s first in-person award celebration since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID-19 has posed some nearly insurmountable challenges for the communities we serve,” noted Renascent … Continued
“It’s never too late to pursue your passion, and it’s definitely not about the ‘stuff’.” That’s the mantra Eileen Starkman lives by, and one she shares frequently as a counsellor in Renascent’s Virtual Intensive Treatment Program. It’s a dream job for the mother of two, who has been in recovery since 2006. Despite her conviction, … Continued
By Logan Freeman, person in recovery What is mental illness stigma? In relation to mental illness, stigma is when someone is marked or discredited somehow, or reduced from being a whole person to being a stereotype or labeled as a collection of symptoms or a diagnosis (e.g. ‘psychotic’). The meaning of the word stigma is … Continued
‘Magic’ is the word Addictions Counsellor, Brittany McDonald uses to describe the life-changing work that happens at Renascent Graham Munro Treatment Centre (Munro Centre). Having cared for hundreds at Munro Centre, Brittany knows it is the willingness of clients to receive help, coupled with the unparalleled skill and commitment of staff, which makes this ‘magic’ … Continued
It’s impossible to know by just looking, the number of twists and turns that make up a person’s recovery journey. This is true for Renascent’s own Giuseppe Mercuri. After nine overdoses and ten stints in treatment, this year Giuseppe is celebrating eight years in recovery and seven years as a Renascent addictions counsellor. Giuseppe remembers … Continued
After struggling for years with addiction, Hunter was admitted to Renascent Paul J. Sullivan Centre (Sullivan Centre) in the height of Ontario’s fourth wave of COVID-19. Though this was his first time in treatment, Sullivan Centre wasn’t new to Hunter. He sat in that exact building 17 years prior watching his father graduate from treatment. … Continued
By: Susan Jones, Renascent Alumni I last had a drink on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2016. I happened to be in Toronto on a business trip and had stayed over the weekend to visit family and help provide support to my mother who was looking after my ailing father. It was a Sunday morning when … Continued
Christine, Renascent Alumna Step 8 seemed terrifying when I began my journey. I knew I had done a lot of harm, but I hadn’t been willing to look at it too closely. I entered Renascent a completely broken woman who was willing to do anything for my recovery. I made a commitment to my sponsor … Continued
Mark vividly recalls the accident that was the catalyst which started it all. In 1985, he and a friend were going for a motorcycle ride in Los Angeles, California. They hopped on their bikes and a few kilometers later the unimaginable occurred. A Toyota ran a red light and Mark hit the side of the … Continued
By Sue F, Renascent Alumni HUMILITY (noun); TO BE FREE from pride and arrogance (Meaning taken from Webster’s dictionary) a. Pride (noun); self satisfaction in one’s achievements 2. Self esteem b. Arrogance (noun); an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assessments When I volunteered to write about humility, I needed … Continued
