The Fortune Society’s Network and Engagement Services Team (NEST), our peer recovery center, offers support for Fortune participants in recovery from a substance use disorder. Through weekly groups and peer support, participants involved with the NEST gain access to a lasting supportive community and the opportunity to connect with peers with similar life experiences.  

Colt first came to Fortune around 2018 upon his release from Rikers Island. Although he recalls being skeptical at first, after discovering Fortune’s reentry resources, he began to feel more at home. He has been a participant in the NEST since February of this year. 

Fortune’s staff are instrumental in a participant’s journey towards change and acceptance. Minerva and Sean, the NEST facilitators, have helped Colt realize the things in life worth fighting for. During the weekly groups, they discuss topics including “Embracing Change,” “Relapse Prevention” and “Healthy Relationships,” all of which have helped Colt see incredible progress in himself.

Colt shared that his experiences growing up influenced many of the decisions he made before connecting with Fortune. Through the NEST’s peer groups, he has reshaped his perspective, and he now realizes that he can do the work to help himself rather than letting negative cycles continue.  

“I’ve come into the understanding since being in the NEST that I have all the power,” Colt said. “It falls on me. For my whole life, I thought that I didn’t, I thought that I had no control.” 

In the NEST peer groups, Colt plays a vital role as a mentor for some of the other participants. With support from staff, Colt feels confident to guide others in a comfortable and judgment-free environment. He recognizes that certain experiences have shaped how fellow participants interact with the world, and drawing on his own experiences, Colt acts as an incredible resource for others. The NEST allows him to meet others where they are emotionally while also holding them accountable for their future.

“I try to mediate a lot of situations,” Colt explained. “I’ve got a decent group of people that are good-hearted and kind-spirited people, and they’ve been through things… They look to me for guidance.”  

Colt is working towards becoming a social worker, and he first wants to become a facilitator for the NEST weekly groups. Colt hopes that his experience and the success he has found at Fortune will inspire others to take advantage of all that Fortune has to offer.  

Colt emphasized that, in the short amount of time he has been involved with the NEST, he has seen immense change in how he views himself. He has gained confidence and greater trust in himself to make the right decisions.