Summer is fast approaching. Soon we will all have much more time on our hands. Time to be in society, with friends and family, and having fun in the sun. But armed even with the best intentions, situations like this can quickly turn dark for a person with even the brightest recovery.

But, there is no reason why any person, new to recovery or in a long-term program, should be afraid to expose him or herself to the opportunity of holiday enjoyment. But how might we do that?

There are several resources in the Madison Recovery Community. For students here, the Madison College Live Free Student Club is terrific for on-campus support, not just for those times in between classes. And by next fall, you’ll have a stable source of recovery-oriented events off campus as well.

The Live Free UW-Madison Student Organization hosts weekly, all-recovery meetings that are open to any and all students of a higher education status, and they will also be hosting fun recovery events throughout the summer and fall. If one were interested in becoming part of a great recovery community group, the Madison Chapter of Young People in Recovery is a great outlet and opportunity for people to take part in the destigmatization of addiction among young people.

YPR-Madison puts its focus on the education, employment, and housing of young people in recovery, so that the greater community can get to see that where addiction stops, recovery begins.

If you would like to get involved in something more immediate and with a close to home focus, please look into the Lang Family House of Terror.

They will be hosting their Banquet Fundraiser on May 2 at the Damascus Road Church, 4642 Cottage Grove Rd in Madison. The proceeds from the dinner will go toward supplies for this year’s spectacular haunted house at 290 Waterman Street in Oregon, Wis. The donations collected at the haunted house go to the Recovery Foundation, which helps those who cannot otherwise afford treatments for addiction.

Tickets for the fundraising event are available at just $15. Access to the dinner may provide excellent opportunities for those in recovery to have a structured, fun filled summertime experience, taking part in parades, brat stands, sober parties, all while helping to advocate for and support a positive recovery community project.