Reflections on Mobilize Recovery Across America 2022

Good evening from Spokane, Washington—where we are saying goodbye to the big red bus that has taken us 10,403 miles over the past 31 days. On our final stop of #MobilizeRecovery tonight, all of our gratitude goes to the thousands of volunteer hours, hundreds of community partners, passionate and dedicated organizers, and the entire Mobilize Recovery team who took an ambitious idea (that few thought was realistic) and brought it to life—exceeding our wildest expectations for the possible.

Crossing over 25 states and the District of Columbia, this bus was the cornerstone of 37 events—bringing over 12,000 people together from around the country. Thousands of names & stories now adorn almost every inch of it. Together as we crossed the country, we distributed 11,000 fentanyl test strips & 10,000 free overdose kits with naloxone, registered new recovery voters, hosted organizing workshops, public narrative trainings, and new ways for the recovery community to engage. And in just under 1 month—reached over 1 million Americans through Facebook and iHeart with the message that the recovery community is demanding action to end this overdose crisis, and to put recovery back on top of our state and federal agendas.

As I make my way around the bus for the final time this evening, I’m moved by the stories & people who joined us on this journey. Our work is far from over. If anything, the past month has only shown us what we can do—when we do it together. To say I am filled with profound gratitude is an understatement.

So as we end the national tour tonight here in the beautiful state of Washington, let’s pledge to ourselves & to each other, to continue carrying this message of community, resilience, belonging & action—each and every day, in every place that we may travel next.