Michigan Connects

03/22/2026

Heartbreaking news: Charles has sadly passed away. I just saw him a week or so ago and he was looking so happy; he said he was helping his church open up a treatment program. Charles was very giving and often helped out new clients without expecting anything in return. This is a tough one, but Charles was a believer and talked about Jesus a lot. I know where he’s at ❤️

Charles K has been sober since 3/15/25 and is starting to create a new life for himself and his children. New to Lansing, he recently completed his sober living program at Pinnacle and got into his own place. He now works at Mount Hope Church and is quick to help out any person needing help or wanting to go to church. A couple weeks ago, a new guy at Pinnacle wanted to know of any churches within walking distance. I asked Charles for advice and he came over within 15 minutes to lend a hand. I am writing a story on Charles but wanted to send a shoutout message to him on my page because he deserves so much respect for being willing to share his story. I am so proud of you Charles.

03/21/2026

3 days ago the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill banning the sale and use of kratom. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), will need to be passed by the state senate and signed by Gov. Whitmer to take effect. The bill passed 56-48 in the state house and would make the use of kratom and kratom variants a misdemeanor, with up to a year in jail and $20,000 in fines. Here is what the bill states:
“A person shall not grow, synthesize, sell, offer to sell, give, import, or distribute kratom or a synthetic variant of kratom.”

03/21/2026

A faith-based program at Rivers of Life Church is helping people recover from addiction, divorce, abuse, and other trauma by pairing them with a community focused on accountability and mutual support. WILX Ann Emmerich shows us how Remarkable is helping people grow:

12/12/2025

I remember being up all night on a bender, when 6 or 7 AM came and people were getting ready to go to work while I was taking my last hits, it was the most depressing feeling. You feel like you are living in a different dimension than “normal” people.

12/12/2025

In the Q3 reports of Ingham County drug deaths, a 25-year old passed away from a combination of alcohol and 7-hydroxymitragynine, otherwise known as 7-OH or “gas station heroin” in the media. It’s mind boggling that 7-OH is legal to buy at stores all around our communities. It is an alkaloid found in Kratom that some say can be 20 times more potent than morphine. Unfortunately, until it is banned in Michigan, I believe we will start seeing more deaths from this. As a former opioid user, I am glad this wasn’t around when I was in my active addiction because this is too easy to get!

12/12/2025

Haven’t checked my bank account in 3 weeks. I am too terrified to look and we aren’t even halfway through Christmas season 😂 Seriously, though, I have always loved Christmas season. One of the greatest blessings of recovery has been being able to fully participate in it.

12/11/2025

The UM Health Sparrow Medical Examiner in their latest reports for the first three quarters of 2025 have documented 61 drug related deaths in Ingham County. There have been 8 drug related deaths in Eaton County and 5 in Clinton County.

12/07/2025

Happy birthday to David. Thank you so much for being an amazing brother and friend, I would not have made it through my struggles without your support. (And he is now working in the field of recovery and makes a difference in the lives of others every day). We all know it’s not an easy field to work in but it is also one of the most rewarding and I am happy that you are choosing to do it!

12/07/2025

If you want to see a picture of what recovery looks like, just look at Eric on the left getting his diploma. That is true joy, sobriety, perseverance, and hard work.

12/07/2025

Congrats Bailey! She is really good at what she does so it is awesome to see her recognized.

Please join us in congratulating Bailey, our December Skywood Champion! Bailey is a force of nature. She's always bright and positive, but she's also no nonsense. She's always on the move, encouraging our patients to be active and doing so with them. She leads by example and holds others accountable. She's also willing to take on more to support the team, AND IT SHOWS!!! Bailey exemplifies what it means to be Skywood Champion.

12/05/2025

This is awesome! Amazing work being done in Clinton County.

ICYMI: Recovery Worx has opened its doors with regular hours after completing building renovations funded by Clinton County grant money. READ MORE ⬇️

12/04/2025

Congrats, Eric! Eric puts in so much time to recovery and helping others, it is awesome to see him recognized for finishing his education!