LAWRENCE — A celebration of recovery is happening in Lawrence as The 24 Group marks its 20th anniversary Hawk Walk on Saturday. The event raises money to provide grants for treatment assistance and for recovery services for kids and young adults.
The walk supports initiatives like Camp Mariposa, a preventative mentorship program that helps children ages nine to 12 whose families have been affected by substance use disorders.
Brianna Metz knows firsthand the impact addiction has on families. Her husband has been in recovery from alcohol for two and a half years, and the journey has affected their entire household.
"The challenge is definitely dealing with somebody going in and out of the justice system, which then puts a financial strain as well onto the family. Also, the emotional strain of it," Metz said.
Her daughter Delilah developed anxiety as a result of her father's addiction, but Overdose Lifeline's Camp Mariposa is helping her heal and develop coping skills.
"She has learned that she did not cause it, can't cure it, and cannot control it," Metz said.
For Delilah, the camp provided understanding and community she couldn't find elsewhere.
"I just didn't understand fully like how the addiction that was hurting my dad, what it was, what it was doing to him and how it affected me other than like sadly, and I just learned how to deal with that and it was really fun to be able to be around people that I felt like they understood me," Delilah said.
Camp Mariposa meets throughout the year with the same group of children and mentors, creating lasting relationships while engaging in therapeutic and recreational activities.
"Same group of kids, same mentors, getting to build relationships with them and helping them engage in some therapeutic activities as well as all the fun stuff," said Leah Edge-Reetz, director of youth programming at Overdose Lifeline.
The 24 Group provided a grant that funds a new junior counselor program, allowing children who have aged out of the camp to return as mentors.
"They've been through the program and they can speak to what they've been through and kind of show them what it's like to be just a little bit further down the road," Edge-Reetz said.
Michael Shaw, a board member of The 24 Group, emphasized the importance of addressing addiction as a family issue.
"Substance use disorder is a family disease. It affects everybody in the family, not just the person who's suffering from addictions," Shaw said.
For Brianna's husband, who grew up with addicted parents, seeing his daughter receive support he never had is meaningful.
"He is a child of addicted parents himself, both of them, and so that's not something that was available to him when he was a child, and it could have changed the way that he grew up," Metz said.
The family credits Camp Mariposa and Overdose Lifeline with being life-changing.
"Having been affected by alcoholism as a wife and as a child, I just really could not say anything better, send your kids, send your kids. They are a gift to these children," Metz said.
The 20th annual Hawk Walk takes place Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Fort Harrison State Park. Registration is available online or on-site starting at 8 a.m.
