Oct 28, 2021
Jason and Alex are joined this week by Helpful Hats Project founder, Shana Vander Kooy. Growing up in a rural farm community, Shana always knew she was destined for bigger and brighter things. She traded in the small town for New York City when she received a scholarship to play collegiate softball. She reminisces on how it was the experience of a lifetime, however, it was also where she was exposed to drugs, alcohol, partying, and the big city lifestyle. Shana eventually found her way to the West Coast where the partying lifestyle continued. It wasn’t until Shana and her wife were seeking to have children that she realized she needed professional help. She then admitted herself into detox because she knew she would not be able to be there for her kids in the condition she was in. Shana, Jason, and Alex continue to discuss how truly special and supportive the recovery community can be, as even though all of us are very different people, so many of us have very similar stories and that no one is alone when it comes to sobriety. Fast forward to the present day, Shana talks about how she wanted to do something for the recovery community to give back, as it is what saved her life. In this quest, she recalls how overwhelming it was for her as she began her sobriety journey in that she did not know where to go or who to reach out to for help. She then formed the Helpful Hats Project, a project hoping to provide struggling individuals an opportunity to approach someone wearing a Helpful Hat for help and guidance. Now, over five years sober, Shana talks about how her wife and two adopted sons are her life and driving force and how all of that wouldn’t have manifested if it wasn’t for her getting the help she knew she needed.
You can find Shana and the Helpful Hats Project at:
Website: www.helpfulhatsproject.com
Instagram: @helpful_hats_project
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