11 Stories from Leaders of Loss and Recovery
At the 2024 Annual Leaders’ Luncheon, 11 community members bravely shared their story with us and let us know that none of us are alone.

Real recovery stories breaking addiction stigma
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11 Stories from Leaders of Loss and Recovery
At the 2024 Annual Leaders’ Luncheon, 11 community members bravely shared their story with us and let us know that none of us are alone.
Live Tampa Bay Welcomes Kofi HuntLive Tampa Bay is excited to welcome Kofi Hunt to our team as Community Liaison for Pinellas and Pasco Counties....
If addiction were only about the substance, everyone exposed to the same drug would have the same outcome. We know that’s not how it works. One famous series of experiments, often called “Rat Park”, offers a surprisingly human lesson: our environment and our sense of belonging can dramatically shape how we relate to substances.
This February, I’ve been thinking a lot about how loneliness, overdose, and stigma show up in real lives here in Tampa Bay, and what it would look like for all of us to respond with more compassion, not more pressure. In my letter, I share why connection and person‑first language matter so much, how Black communities are carrying a disproportionate share of this crisis, and three simple ways we can care for ourselves more kindly while helping someone else feel less alone.