Every opportunity to step into the community is another opportunity to connect, listen and share hope. What began as my personal journey has grown into something much bigger than me. Through community events, conversations and speaking opportunities, I continue to share my lived experience with honesty, accountability and purpose. My goal is not simply to tell my story, but to use it to remind others that change is possible, healing takes time, and no one has to walk their journey alone.
WAMBO — Wallaceburg: Where It All Began
WAMBO — Wallaceburg My first vendor event in my own community and an important first step in bringing Living My Truth beyond the pages. It gave me the opportunity to share my books, my lived experience and a message of recovery, accountability, hope and rebuilding.
Dresden: Back to My Roots
Dresden Community Event Bringing Living My Truth to Dresden was especially meaningful because this is where my roots are. It was another opportunity to bring my journey into the community, connect with people face-to-face and show how something that began as my personal story has grown into something much bigger than me.
Alternative Highs Podcast: Finding My Voice
Alternative Highs Podcast — September 23, 2026 A new chapter in my community journey—moving from setting up behind a table to sitting down behind a microphone. I had the opportunity to speak openly about addiction, recovery, setbacks, accountability, rebuilding, boundaries and the purpose I have found through sharing my lived experience.
Ridgetown — Sharing Living My Truth
Bringing Living My Truth to Ridgetown was another opportunity to step beyond my comfort zone and bring my books, lived experience, and message of recovery into the community. Every event gives me another chance to have conversations, connect with people, and show that our past does not have to determine where our story ends. Recovery gave me another chance at life, and today I get to use that life with purpose.
Community Connection with Ben Labadie
A meaningful moment from my journey in the community alongside Ben Labadie. What started with sharing my books has continued to open doors for conversations, connections, and opportunities I never imagined when I first began telling my story. These moments remind me that Living My Truth is becoming about more than a book—it is about bringing people together through lived experience, recovery, hope, and community.
Overdose Awareness — Showing Up in the Community
Being present in the community for Overdose Awareness Month means more to me than simply attending an event. It is about remembering the lives that have been lost, honouring their stories, supporting the people and families who remain, and continuing conversations that can help reduce stigma. As someone who has lived through addiction and recovery, showing up is part of how I choose to give back and remind others that every life matters.
Banners & Bracelets — Awareness With a Message
These banners and bracelets were created to carry an important message beyond a single event. The overdose-awareness banner represents remembrance, honour, hope, healing, and the importance of every life, while the R.O.C.K. — “You Matter” bracelets offer a simple reminder that can be carried with someone every day. They were created for Chatham-Kent and R.O.C.K. as another way of supporting awareness, starting conversations, reducing stigma, and reminding people that they matter.
Giving Back in the Community with Community Living Wallaceburg
Turning recovery into action. Being out in the community with Community Living Wallaceburg and giving back reminds me that recovery became about so much more than changing my own life. It became about showing up, helping where I can, building meaningful connections, and becoming an active part of m y community again. These moments remind me that purpose doesn’t always have to be something big. Sometimes making a difference begins with something as simple as showing up, lending a hand, working alongside others, and being willing to serve. This is another part of what Living My Truth represents to me — taking the life I worked so hard to rebuild and using it to give something back.
Showing Up & Serving with Community Living Wallaceburg
Recovery gave me the chance to become someone who shows up. Being out in the community with Community Living Wallaceburg, helping alongside others and doing the work that may never make headlines is part of what service means to me. On this day, that included helping clean up our community and safely collecting discarded syringes, needles and other items from public spaces. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was important work — helping make those spaces safer for individuals, families, children and everyone who calls our community home. For me, service isn’t only about talking about change. It’s about being willing to put on the gloves, show up, do the work and be part of that change. These moments with Community Living Wallaceburg represent the life I wanted to rebuild — one rooted in consistency, involvement, compassion, responsibility and giving back. These aren’t simply pictures of where I’ve been. They are pieces of the life I rebuilt — recovery becoming connection, connection becoming purpose, and purpose becoming service. This is what Living My Truth looks like beyond the pages.
A Red Carpet Moment: Lived Experience & Documentary
From lived experience to seeing these conversations brought to the screen. This photo was taken at a red carpet documentary event — a moment that represented more than simply attending a screening. Being there reminded me of why sharing real stories and lived experiences matters. Documentaries, books, conversations and community events can bring attention to experiences that are often difficult to talk about and give people an opportunity to listen, learn and see beyond the surface. For me, moments like this connect directly to the purpose behind Living My Truth. Our stories can become conversations. Conversations can create awareness. Awareness can create understanding. And understanding can help open the door for change. Standing there wasn’t just about the red carpet. It was about being present in a space where stories mattered — and being reminded why I continue using my own voice and lived experience for individuals, families and communities who deserve to be seen and heard
Recover Out Loud Chatham-Kent
One of the moments that represents where this journey began turning into purpose. Holding something connected to Recover Out Loud Chatham-Kent represents more than recovery to me. It represents finding my voice, becoming involved, learning from others and realizing that lived experience can become something meaningful when we use it to encourage, educate and bring hope to others.
This photo represents a full-circle moment in my journey.
Ashley’s Place in Tilbury, Ontario, was part of my early recovery story. Years ago, I came into this space as someone who was still learning how to survive, rebuild, accept structure and understand what recovery could look like. My journey wasn’t perfect. There were setbacks, relapses, difficult lessons and moments when I still had a lot of growing to do. Years later, I was invited back—not only as someone who had once needed support, but as someone who could now offer words of encouragement, inspiration and resource information to others. That is something I don’t take lightly. My inventory reminds me to look at the whole journey: where I struggled, the choices I made, the people who helped me, the correction I needed, and the work I had to do for myself. Recovery didn’t erase my past—it taught me how to take responsibility for what belongs to me and use what I learned to serve with purpose. This picture reminds me that sometimes growth looks like returning to a place that once helped you and realizing you are no longer standing there as the same person who first walked through those doors. Today, I continue bringing that lived experience into the community through opportunities like Ashley’s Place in Tilbury and Community Living Wallaceburg—showing up, serving, sharing encouragement and helping create spaces where people feel seen, heard and supported. From receiving support to giving it back. From surviving to serving with purpose. This is part of Living My Truth. J.R.D. — Just Rise Daily.
