U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits Hope Recovery Community

MEDINA — Hope Recovery Community embodies the notion of community, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said, noting its importance in bringing people with addiction out of isolation. On Thursday, Kennedy toured a couple of Hope Recovery Community's spaces, including the Recovery Farm in Medina Township and the recovery center in Medina. He also took part in a recovery roundtable discussion that featured local, state, and federal officials, along with several Hope Recovery Community representatives who are in recovery themselves. Hope Recovery Community Executive Director Stefanie Robinson said that 10 years ago, none of the recovery services in place now existed, and the city was not a place to come to recover. In the last eight years, the recovery community came together to create what Hope Recovery Community is today, she said. "We have changed this community," Robinson said. "We have changed this culture. We are no longer a community that fears addiction, but we embrace recovery. If it's possible here, it's possible anywhere." Robinson led the roundtable, asking the participants about what's working for recovery and what is missing. Several people spoke on the importance of collaboration and community, which has supported recovery on the local and state levels. On the other hand, people spoke about what is potentially preventing recovery, like housing, employment and transportation issues, along with the need for increased awareness and a lowered stigma. After the roundtable participants spoke, Kennedy spoke about recovery and the importance of supporting community spaces like Hope Recovery Community. He also spoke on the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous, founded in Akron in 1935, and its importance in connecting alcoholics with other alcoholics. As an agency, Kennedy said they need to do everything it can to provide opportunities so that when someone is ready to recover, it's easy for them to find someone who can help them do so. "That is, I think, the essential role of government is to make sure that those services are there, that we can facilitate this," Kennedy said. "We can't cure people, we can't stop them, but when they're ready, there may be just a small window of time when that addict is ready, has hit the bottom, and is ready for help." Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.