We lost one of our own.
Her name was Rita.
She was a survivor of more than most of us could ever carry. A woman who knew darkness but still managed to reach back into the fire and pull other women out with her. She guided many into the first fragile steps of recovery, because she had once been there herself.
But sometimes the weight creeps back in. Sometimes the shadows feel heavier than the light. And this week, Rita’s fight came to an end.
Fly high, Rita.
You will be missed.
For those of us still here, may we carry forward what she gave us - the reminder that even the most scarred among us can be a light for someone else.
Rita left no family able to properly honor her memory or to bury her, so in her legacy, we are starting a fund to both cremate and memorialize her - and any other man or woman in our network who leaves us under similar circumstances.
Direct Cremation of Rita’s remains is quoted at $1,510, we need to raise that immediately and any amount beyond that will go to the next man or woman.