By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
The gym at Greg Williams Court was filled with resources, activities, and conversations about recovery on Wednesday, September 23, as the Tulalip Wellness Court held its second annual Alumni Recovery Resource Fair.
Community members moved among resource tables set up throughout the gym, connecting with programs and services while food and games gave families a chance to spend time together. A bounce house and dunk tank were added to the afternoon as organizations shared information about services available to people in recovery and their families.
Wellness Court provides an alternative path for participants dealing with substance use and involvement in the justice system, emphasizing recovery, accountability, and addressing the issues that contributed to their circumstances. Participants work through a court-supervised program while connecting with treatment and other services intended to support long-term recovery.
The alum fair brought those resources together while also giving graduates and others in recovery a chance to reconnect with the programs and people who have been part of their journeys.
After the resource fair concluded, attendees gathered for dinner at 4 p.m. The evening portion gave those in recovery an opportunity to share their experiences, including Summer Lee Blankenship, an author of two books and one of the first graduates of Tulalip Wellness Court. With a clean date of June 18, 2022, Blankenship reflected on a time when she was unsure whether she would survive. “I experienced a life of heartache, pain, and agony,” she said. “I reached a point where I did not think I was going to make it out.”
Blankenship said she first used drugs at 13 years old. Over the years, she witnessed overdoses and experienced several herself. “I’ve witnessed people overdose. I’ve held people’s hands as they’ve taken their last breath,” she said. “I’ve had a heart attack. I’ve overdosed so many times, and nothing ever stopped me. I just continued deeper and deeper and deeper.”
She also spoke about the hold addiction continued to have over her after becoming a mother. “I love my son more than anything, and even if it wasn’t enough to make me quit,” Blankenship said. “It really, truly is a disease.”
Blankenship began going to treatment in 2011 and said she went through treatment 18 times, spent time in and out of jail, and participated in two drug court programs, including Tulalip Wellness Court. After joining Wellness Court, she said she eventually went on the run for several years during what became one of the darkest periods of her life. Looking back on that time, she said, “I don’t know how I am alive today. I’m so thankful that I am.”
Years later, Blankenship said she is thankful for the work that came with Wellness Court and for a life that once seemed beyond her reach. She pointed to her family, including her son, sister, and grandmother, who she said has never missed one of her events. “Today my life is just full of so many things that at one point seemed so impossible,” she said. “I’m super thankful for that.”
Speaking directly to current Wellness Court participants, Blankenship acknowledged how difficult the program can be, having experienced it herself. “If you are in Wellness Court, my hands go up to you,” she said. “I know the work. I know how hard it is. It’s just not easy. Never give up.”
She encouraged those listening to continue showing up, face the difficult parts of their lives, and believe that change remains possible. “You are the creator of your life, and nothing is out of reach,” Blankenship said. “You just have to believe in yourself and just keep showing up and doing the hard thing.”
For Blankenship, that work also means returning to ceremony, taking care of oneself, and learning to live with integrity. “Always go back to ceremonies and take care of yourself in a good, gentle way,” she said. “Keeping our promises, showing up when we say we’re going to show up, being a person of integrity and dignity and respect. It’s never too late for anybody.”
Now in its second year, the Wellness Court Alumni Recovery Resource Fair brought community members, service providers, and Wellness Court alums together in one space. From connecting people with resources during the afternoon to sharing a meal and stories of recovery later in the day, the gathering provided a place to recognize progress while showing those still working toward recovery the support available around them.