Testimonials
There is no cost to join the center. You get access to center activities, peer advocacy, staff contact information, email, Facebook and their website for additional support.
When the RISE center opened in Herkimer it was a really wonderful thing and once you got in there and met the staff you knew it was a safe place to go. The recreation activities they have were totally awesome. Movie night is wonderful. It’s nice to have a safe place to go when you’re an addict where you can do fun things and not have to be around alcohol and drugs. I found peace and comfort in the Zen relaxation room and found new friends at the pool table. I can’t say enough about the staff – how wonderful they have been when open for visiting and now for the Zoom meetings they have. It’s just a really nice place that more people need to know about. I myself can’t wait for COVID to be over so I can once again to the RISE Recovery Center.
I am very grateful to have learned about the RISE Recovery Community Outreach Program. My interest started when I heard about the Recovery Coach class. I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot. The more I came to the center, the more I got to know staff members Jeff and Barb. I have been in recovery since 2006. Since it had been so long and I felt that I was strong in my recovery, I stopped going to meetings and was working at a job where I helped others as an advocate on a daily basis. This took somewhat of a toll on me. I'm a single parent and found that I minimized a decline in my mental health. I began having chronic relapses. I was somewhat in denial, as I wasn't drinking and using nearly as often as I did years ago. I would have random "slips" and I felt that I really didn't have anyone to reach out to. Most people, including my own family, did not think I had any type of substance abuse problem anymore. Part of this was because I was in denial myself. I lost contact with my sober support system for years. When Barb gave me information about the services offered at RISE, I became very interested in working on my recovery again. She explained how important "reconnecting and self empowerment" really is. She has been a very good advocate for me. Her lack of judgement and friendly demeanor made me feel comfortable and accepted. For the first time in a few years, I opened up to somebody about my struggles with relapse. Through talking to her, I realized that I was not alone. I also realized that even though my substance abuse disorder was much more severe years ago, that relapses still affect my quality of life. I finally accepted that my cycle of relapsing, no matter how infrequent, was an unhealthy coping mechanism for me and bad for my mental health. Being a member of RISE has helped me focus on my recovery again. I now have a great sober support network as I have started attending meetings again. Soon, I will be working the steps of AA again. I feel that working on my sobriety, one day at a time, has made me a better single mother. Since I have 2 teenagers at home, I feel it's very important for me to work on my recovery so I can continue to be a good role model for my girls. I want to thank Barb and all of the staff at RISE for being so kind and helpful to me since I joined. I am excited to take the CRPA test and to eventually become a Recovery Coach myself as I become stronger in my sobriety. I want to thank Barb and all of the staff at RISE for being so friendly, kind and understanding towards me during my struggles in recovery.