Community Engagement at Wake Up the Earth

On Saturday, Berk, Davy, John, and Ronnie tabled at the Wake Up the Earth festival in Jamaica Plain. We are thrilled to have Ronnie a a BRF ambassador. Ronnie struggled with substance use disorder for 14 years, going in and out of detox and residential programs. After completing a locked substance use treatment program, Ronnie is sober and engaging in a halfway house program. Ronnie's total compassion for others suffering from substance use disorder comes from his understanding of suffering and hope. We are so grateful that he wants to share his story to help others.

The Wake Up the Earth festival brings together the people of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury to celebrate the diverse communities during the beautiful dawn of spring. Our hearts were warmed by how many people stopped by the BRF table and showed genuine interest. We gathered contact information from potential volunteers, and distributed business cards and brochures to help spread the word.

The best moments were when we learned why people were interested in volunteering with us. Some people simply felt compelled to get active in their community, while others had friends or family members who struggled with addiction. One man shared that he was a recovering addict himself, 6 months sober. His pride in sobriety was clear and well-deserved. It was heartwarming to see that he felt comfortable sharing his story with us - it helps remove the stigma from addiction struggles.

Many people commented on the importance of our work, remarking that this feels like a dark period of time. While we acknowledge the validity of that feeling, simply saying "you're doing good work" does nothing to help people on the streets. If we were all in a stadium and the lights went out, many people would start talking about the darkness. One person might turn on their phone flashlight. On its own, the small light hardly makes a difference, but if everyone turns on their flashlights, the whole stadium is filled with light, and the darkness is reduced. We hope that the people we met left the festival knowing that they could be the light that pushes back the darkness and gives someone hope in this world. We cannot do it alone, but with the help of generous people, we can make a great impact.