Beit T'Shuvah Residents Climb Tallest Peak in US

Hi! As many of you know, I am pursuing a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy to become a therapist at USC. I recently started my clinical internship at Beit T'Shuvah, a Jewish nonprofit long-term residential addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. Beit T'Shuvah has been around for 35 years, has 140 beds and accepts all religions, races and genders.

 

95% of the residents are on scholarship, meaning they don’t have the resources to pay for treatment. Most clients stay a minimum of 6 months to rebuild their lives and prepare themselves to reintegrate back into the world; every resident is assigned a counselor, a therapist and a spiritual counselor to help them achieve that goal.

 

One of Beit T'Shuvah's offerings is the Summit Program, where a group of residents train for 3-4 months, starting with small local hikes, gradually increasing in difficulty and altitude, summiting many of the tallest local peaks in Southern California. The metaphors for recovery on the mountain are endless. People often experience a full range of emotions while on a challenging trail. Yet, through those emotions, we find resilience, wonder, and connection at the core. Each year the training culminates in a two-night trip to conquer a major summit. Since its creation, the program has brought over 50 residents to the summits of Yosemite’s Half Dome, Cloud’s Rest and Mount Whitney (the tallest peak in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet!).

 

On July 10-12, I will lead a group of 10 residents to summit Mount Whitney. Hiking, camping, and access to the outdoors has been a huge part of my life, both for pleasure and therapeutically. Unfortunately, camping and hiking gear can be costly, creating barriers for some residents to access this experience who don't have the means to buy the necessary equipment.

 

Access to the outdoors shouldn't have barriers to entry. This will be an incredible accomplishment for these residents and a deeply therapeutic one. I would really love to be able to increase access to this transformational experience for residents by donating some of the necessary gear for the two-day camp and summit experience, such as hiking shoes, sleeping bags, clothing, cookware etc.

 

If you are interested in supporting this wonderful nonprofit and important program for residents in recovery, I would appreciate any amount you are willing to contribute!

 

 

Thank you so much,

Nicole