Equal SRQ

07/21/2025

🎨 Tonight at the EqualSRQ: Watercolor Wonder! 🦜

Join us tonight from 5:30–7 PM for a truly delightful evening of creativity and calm as we bring the soft, touchable feathers of the African Grey Parrot to life on the page.

In this beginner-friendly watercolor journaling session, we’ll explore the magic of watermarks and the art of lost and found edges — essential techniques for capturing delicate textures and subtle beauty.

📍 Location: EqualSRQ 2035 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota
🕠 Time: 5:30–7:00 PM
🖌️ No experience necessary — just bring your curiosity. We provide everything else!

Whether you're new to painting or a returning enthusiast, you’ll leave with new skills, new friends, and a parrot you’ll be proud to show off.

Let’s make some together.
🌈

07/21/2025

🌱 Join Us for WRAP®: A Powerful Path to Wellness 🌱

Good Morning, Friends!

Equal SRQ is thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Introduction to the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®) training — a powerful, peer-led process that supports individuals in building their own unique wellness strategies.

🗓 Dates: August 4th–7th
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM (Lunch Included!)
📍 Location: Equal SRQ Board Room, 8171 Blaikie Ct, Sarasota, FL 34240
🎟️ Register here: https://forms.gle/JycNy6keRjdUaJwf8

What is WRAP®?
WRAP® is a simple yet transformative wellness planning tool used by people all over the world. Whether you're on a recovery journey or simply seeking greater balance, WRAP® helps you:

Discover effective tools to stay well — your way.

Create daily plans that support your personal goals.

Identify what throws you off and how to bounce back stronger.

Develop supportive strategies for navigating crisis — while staying in control.

This training is peer-centered, participatory, and deeply empowering. You’ll collaborate with others in a safe, supportive environment as you create a plan that reflects your life, your values, and your version of wellness.

💬 Questions or dietary needs?
Contact Tim Bisson, NCPS, CRPS-A at contact@equalsrq.org — we’re happy to help!

Let’s walk this path of wellness together. 🌿
Seats are limited — reserve your spot today!

07/21/2025

🔥 The Grill is BACK at Chill & Grill! 🔥

Last Wednesday, we fired things up again — and wow, it felt good. The smell of the grill, the sound of laughter, and the taste of fresh guacamole (yes, made from a full flat of avocados generously donated by All Faiths Food Bank 🙌) reminded us what community is all about.

💚 Connection.
🎉 Celebration.
🍴 And seriously good food.

Join us this Wednesday at 5:30 PM and be part of the magic. Whether you're coming for the company, the conversation, or the cookout — you’re welcome here.

07/21/2025

💥 Feel like budgeting is confusing or overwhelming? You're not alone.
Join EqualSRQ for “Personal Finances & Budgeting for YOU” on Thursday, July 31 at 5pm.
This free class breaks it down step-by-step so you can create a budget that actually works.
You’ll learn:
🧾 Where your money’s really going
💡 How to plan for surprises and save with less stress
📈 Smart systems like 50/30/20 or zero-based budgeting
💬 Come learn with peers who get it — judgment-free and practical.
➡️ Save your spot here: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/personal-finances-budgeting-for-you-tickets-1441597199029?aff=oddtdtcreator]

07/17/2025

There’s a powerful thread running through this week’s recovery news: agency meets access. In Denver, teens at 5280 Recovery High don’t just get an education—they join a movement, supported by coaches in recovery and a school-wide covenant for sobriety. In Midland, Michigan, Narcan boxes give citizens the tools to interrupt an overdose in real time, bridging critical gaps before first responders arrive. And in New York, a 32% drop in opioid deaths proves that when naloxone, testing, medication programs, and recovery courts are scaled, lives follow suit.

- Teens Overcoming Addiction at 5280 Recovery High School (Denver)
- CSFR Expands Public Naloxone Stations in Midland County
- New York Sees 32% Drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths in 2024

These stories aren’t just headlines—they’re playbooks for proactive, community-rooted recovery. What if every school committed to recovery coaching? What if every neighborhood had reversal kits? And what if settlement dollars were strategically directed to scale proven models?

Let’s challenge ourselves: are we investing in community anchors that combine prevention, treatment, and hope? Share your boldest thinking—or strongest doubts—and let’s sharpen our collective response.

07/17/2025

🌟 Tuesday Spotlight: A Visit to Remember! 🌟
This week, we were proud to host the New Hanover, NC CAP team with our incredible partners from the American Red Cross of Central Florida for a tour of EqualSRQ’s Resiliency Hub — the first in the nation focused on the intersection of recovery and climate resilience.

This wasn’t just a site visit. It was a moment of true partnership — where leaders from across communities listened, learned, and imagined together. We didn’t just show what we built — we showed what we’ve built together.

🔑 Tour Highlights:

💧 Cooling infrastructure and hydration stations that protect neighbors from extreme heat

🌿 Food forests and pollinator gardens that feed both body and community

🧰 Crisis-ready Resiliency Kits created through local insight and lived need

🚐 Mobile peer response teams reaching unhoused neighbors with compassion and care

🎨 Spaces of healing made warm and welcoming through art, plants, and hospitality

At EqualSRQ, recovery and readiness go hand in hand. Our Resiliency Hub is more than a facility — it’s a collaborative movement, rooted in equity, driven by respect, and made possible by partners who show up, stay curious, and build trust.

To our friends in New Hanover: thank you for showing up not just to see — but to co-create what’s next.

07/15/2025

Join us today for EQUAL SRQ SANGHA – a compassionate community for those seeking freedom from addiction through mindfulness and meditation. 🧘‍♂️✨

📅 When: Tuesdays, 11 AM - 12 PM
📍 Location: 2035 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota
🍵 Beverages & Snacks Provided

About the Group: Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from all forms of addiction – whether it’s substances, food, technology, gambling, relationships, or beyond. 🌍 All are welcome! The only requirement is a desire to live addiction-free. 💫

Our recovery program emphasizes mindfulness practices like meditation, personal inventory, mentorship, retreats, and service – creating a strong, supportive peer network along the way. 🌈💪

Come as you are. Take the first step to a life free from substance use. ❤️

07/15/2025

Yeah Lisa!

Join us today for EQUAL SRQ SANGHA – a compassionate community for those seeking freedom from addiction through mindfulness and meditation. 🧘‍♂️✨

📅 When: Tuesdays, 11 AM - 12 PM
📍 Location: 2035 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota
🍵 Beverages & Snacks Provided

About the Group: Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from all forms of addiction – whether it’s substances, food, technology, gambling, relationships, or beyond. 🌍 All are welcome! The only requirement is a desire to live addiction-free. 💫

Our recovery program emphasizes mindfulness practices like meditation, personal inventory, mentorship, retreats, and service – creating a strong, supportive peer network along the way. 🌈💪

Come as you are. Take the first step to a life free from substance use. ❤️

07/04/2025

This week’s news underscores a simple truth: recovery thrives when we remove barriers and spark hope early. In Portland, Oregon, expanding referral access beyond law enforcement to trusted community partners is reshaping sobering services—turning crisis response into compassionate care.

In Minnesota, outreach ramps up just as teens face their first summer of experimentation, reminding us that timing matters: early intervention can rewrite a life’s trajectory.

And at UConn, researchers show that small rewards for staying sober can have outsized impact on those early steps of recovery.

As I reflect on these developments, I’m reminded that recovery is never a one-size-fits-all journey. It demands creativity: whether it’s a referral policy reform, a school-based workshop, or an incentive program. Each innovation shares a common thread—putting people first, meeting them where they are, and believing in their capacity to heal.
How can we apply these lessons within our networks? Are there local organizations that could partner to expand access? Could simple incentives boost engagement in our programs? Let’s start that conversation. Share your experiences below—because it’s by learning from each other that we build stronger paths to lasting recovery. To read more and for source links ...(https://www.sarasotarecoverypeers.org/2025/07/04/the-recovery-brief-7-4-25/)

06/28/2025

Check it out.

Calling all Manatee and Sarasota county Fruit tree owners! 🥭🍈
Click the link to register your fruit tree and share your bountiful fruit with our communities! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMoALlhn21HWhnDDgf0C_OffXoPHr7XY6DSjV8AuEp5GGHnQ/viewform

06/27/2025

⚡️ We don’t wait. We prepare.

Today our Executive Director Paulina kicked off hurricane season the EqualSRQ way — in collaboration with our incredible community partners and the American Red Cross of Central Florida CAP (Community Adaptation Program) Program.

Strategic conversations? ✔️
Hands-on emergency planning? ✔️
Walking through the 120-Hour Preparedness Tool with shared determination? ✔️

We’re energized by what we learned and even more fired up to put it into action. After last year’s storm season, we know just how important it is to plan early — not panic late.

💥Humanitarian service at its finest. And we’re just getting started.
📣 Don’t wait until the winds pick up. Make your plan today.

UnidosNow, Streets of Paradise Inc., Second Heart Homes, Inc., Second Chance Last Opportunity, Sarasota Housing Authority, On the Spot Aid,
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc., Laurel Civic Association, J5 Experience Inc., Harvest House, EPIC Community Care Center, Englewood Helping Hand, All Faiths Food Bank among others . . .

06/26/2025

💸 Money stress? Not today! 💸
Today’s Personal Budgeting Education Program was all about getting real with our finances — not in a scary way, but in an empowering, “I’ve got this!” way. 💪✨

From learning the 50/30/20 rule to building a budget that actually makes sense for our lives, we dove deep into:
✅ Tracking spending without guilt
✅ Tackling debt with a plan
✅ Saving for what really matters
✅ Adapting to life’s curveballs (because, life.)

Big shoutout to everyone who showed up today ready to take charge of their financial future. You inspired us. 🌟

This session is part of our monthly Life-ing Series — real-world tools for real-life adulting. Because budgeting is more than just numbers — it’s about peace of mind.

💬 Want this in your toolbox? Drop a comment below and we’ll make sure you’re in the loop for the next one! 👇