The first steps of reentry can feel uncertain. Success doesn’t begin with big milestones- it starts with having basic needs met, feeling supported, and knowing that someone is in your corner. As Marcus, Sponsors Health & Wellness Lead, explains, “peer wellness can be the foundation that participants’ success is built upon.”
The Health & Wellness (H&W) Program doesn’t follow a particular set of steps, and doesn’t require participants to check specific boxes along the way. Instead, staff ask, “What do you need? What can we help with today?”
Sponsors H&W programs offer a wide range of services, including assistance in finding healthcare providers, accessing disability services, providing transportation to healthcare appointments, supporting addiction recovery, and facilitating the development of personal wellness goals. The work is rooted in trust, support, compassion, knowledge of community resources, and the understanding that progress and healing look different for everyone.
A day of work for each H & W staff member looks different. For Reilly and Marcus, the work is profoundly personal. Reilly, having navigated challenges herself, shares, “I want to break down barriers for others”. This sentiment reflects the spirit of Health & Wellness: meeting people where they are, walking beside them, and celebrating every victory big and small.