Celebrating 13 Years of Rock Recovery
March 19th marks Rock Recovery’s 13th birthday!
I’ve always felt like moms deserve to be celebrated on their child’s birthday (I ESPECIALLY feel this way now that I am pregnant with my first baby!) so it only seems right to honor our fearless founder, Cary Larson on the day that Rock Recovery was born.
I met Cary back in 2010 before I even moved to DC when I was visiting the area for a wedding. I was a few years into my own recovery, and I found Rock Recovery while doing some research to see what nonprofits existed that helped people who couldn’t afford treatment (spoiler alert: it was a very short list).
I immediately felt a connection to her and was entirely inspired by her passion and drive to help others who were falling through the cracks of the current treatment and support system. I was amazed that she saw a desperate need, and decided to take initiative herself to do something about it (you can read more of her story here). It was that meeting that inspired me to move to DC to get more involved with Rock, and eventually come on staff as our first employee in 2013.
Fast forward to today, and I am just as amazed by Cary. I have never met a more humble and grace-filled founder. She sees the possibilities more than the problems, and her creativity and limitless vision continues to inspire (and some days, overwhelm!) me. Her and her amazing husband Ben's generosity is contagious and inspiring.
As I reflect on my last 11 years being a part of this incredible organization, most of my favorite memories revolve around my interactions with our clients. When I sit with our alumni, I hear time and time again how Rock gave them exactly what they needed, and offered a unique combination of things they couldn’t find anywhere else. Whenever I hear these stories I always reflect on Cary’s faithfulness in creating this beautiful organization, and God’s provision and grace in growing us to where we are today.
When Cary started Rock, we ran one weekly meal support recovery program solely utilizing volunteer clinicians and support members that served 10 clients each week at a donated space in Arlington, VA. Today, we have grown to a team of four full-time employees and six contract therapists operating out of our very own office space in Arlington, VA serving more than 100 clients and families each and every week. We now offer six weekly therapy recovery groups and virtual faith-based support groups, all on a sliding scale so that cost is never a barrier to care.
I am SO grateful to be celebrating our 13th birthday and the hundreds of amazing clients and families we have had the joy of serving over the years. I almost can’t believe all that we have accomplished thanks to our generous and faithful community, and I can’t WAIT to see what the next 13 years have in store!
Christie serves as the Executive Director for Rock Recovery, a nonprofit that helps people overcome disordered eating by combining clinical and community care. Having gone through recovery herself, she understands the depth of emotional, physical and spiritual support needed to recover. Christie is passionate about spreading the message that freedom from disordered eating is possible. She is an active speaker and shares her story with organizations and media outlets across the country. Christie lives in Washington, DC with her husband Ryan, who serves as a pastor at their church in Northern Virginia.