FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- An annual fashion show in southern Indiana brings together those in recovery with the officers and judges who sent them to jail.
It's part of a nonprofit organization called THRIVE, which hosts the annual show for people in recovery. The goal is to help them transition from using dope, to having hope.
"I started, actually, addiction at a young age. I was in and out of that whole cycle for 15 years," said Abraham Stucky.
Stucky, who is in recovery, said he's been clean since 2021 when he lost his wife to a drug overdose.
"I would say rock bottom was at that point, whenever my wife at the time had passed away as a direct result of this disease," he said. "I would say walking our children up to their mother's casket. I think that was the rock bottom. Something happened at that moment, I can't really explain it, but that is what has stuck with me."
Stucky turned to a family member and THRIVE — where he is now and outreach manager — to get clean.
"So THRIVE stands for teach, heal, recover, involve, value and encourage," said Phil Stucky.
Phil Stucky is Abraham's cousin and the CEO of THRIVE.
"So what we do is we offer free services for individuals to help them find resources," said Phil Stucky. "Whether that's inpatient, outpatient, or just somebody to walk alongside of them."
Recently, THRIVE hosted its annual fashion show called "Dope to Hope." It puts people in recovery on the same stage as the officers and judges who sent them to jail.
"When you're talking about the sheriff walking with felons, when you talk with the judges walking with felons, or walking with individuals that have lost people in this journey, it shows nothing more but the compassion that this community has," Phil Stucky said.
Floyd County Sheriff Steve Bush was one of the models for this year's show, and said he supports anything to help reduce the recidivism rate.
"Our top three charges for our jail is drug-related," said Bush. "To be part of listening to the stories, it's really heartbreaking, but also it's very kind of satisfactory. Satisfactory in terms of satisfaction, in terms of listening to stories about where people recovered."
To learn more about THRIVE, click here. You can also connect with the nonprofit via Facebook by clicking here.
More Local News:
- Temporary family emergency shelter to open in Louisville this week
- Simmons College launches program to train students for careers in child welfare
- Fatal shooting outside Louisville bar a sign of a 'community issue,' anti-violence advocate says
- Cooking vessel failure cited as cause of Louisville plant explosion
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
