10,000 Beds was created to help individuals without resources who are seeking help for addiction. Over the past 4 years, our written mission of recovery has been redefined, expanded, focused, and edited. But over those same 4 years, our mission has never changed: we support recovery. Whether #ontheroad4recovery, attending a conference, speaking to an audience, or talking on the phone with an applicant, our mission is all about recovery.

We support those seeking help, we support those getting help, we support those who are helping others, we support recovery.

This morning Hal and I reviewed our scholarship applicant list (again) and were thrilled to see how many we have helped, but discouraged by the number of applicants we are still hoping to help, but have not been able to yet. Two applications are over a year old. Most applications are within the past three months. Every single one matters to us.

Applicants with severe trauma, challenging health issues, and a need for a MUCH higher level of care than most of our addiction treatment partners can safely offer, have to wait longer for us to find a scholarship for them, and to be honest, often we simply can’t help. It breaks our hearts. This is a life at stake. This is a person hoping and praying we will be able to help where others have failed.

We lose sleep over this.

This is a tough industry to work in. Lives are at stake. People are hoping, trusting, praying that we (you) are the one that will finally reach out that hand they have been waiting for – the hand offering help.

10,000 Beds is all about recovery. We fight for our applicants. We endorse our partners. We provide a listening ear to families affected by a loved one’s addiction.

We want recovery for everyone. Sadly, this isn’t reality.

So, day by day, we do the best we can to help those who reach out to us. If only with a kind word, when a scholarship is not available. It’s a heart wrenching business to be certain, but we love our clients, our partners, our friends in this industry.

This month we have received several donations in memory of a young man who lost his life to addiction. We are grateful to be able to take a tiny bit from the terrible tragedy to provide hope for another person battling addiction.

When lives are at stake, every dollar counts. When lives are at stake, every offer of hope is appreciated.

When lives are at stake, nothing else matters.

Jean Krisle is a motivational keynote speaker (Fast Lane Leadership, Five Finger Leaders & Failing to Win) and the CEO/Founder of 10,000 Beds, Inc. a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The mission of 10,000 Beds is to connect those seeking help for addiction to those who are willing to help by providing addiction treatment scholarships.

Jean and her husband Hal have spent much of 2017 and 2018 #OnTheRoad4Recovery to change perceptions of recovery. You can reach Jean at jean@10000beds.org. You can support 10,000 Beds at 10000beds.org. #onebedonelife #failing2win #fastlaneleadership fivefingerleadership #ethicsdoneright #fastlane2success