Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Reeves.
Chelsea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
One Recovery was ignited by founder, Lynne Pedersen after 34 years in the adolescent treatment industry. She saw a hole in the system when teens would return home to their families after treatment and where support and peer connection was necessary. Lynne developed the first support group in schools at Pasadena High School in the 1980s. This is where she constructed the Detention/Suspension Exchange program, offering the first Positive Consequence model of its’ time. It is in her rich history of passion, integrity, and purpose that ONE was born.
Lynne set aside the building of programs and focused solely on building youth. She invested her funds and energy to create a space where the diagnosis or struggle is not the focus, but the connection as one human to another is. A program where kids could walk in, connect and heal without it being their intention. A place where ONE can truly alter the course of another. It is believed that the need for all students to have support on-campus is too daunting for a nationwide solution. It is not. Thanks to Lynne, we have one.
Lynne and I crossed paths over 5 years ago when we were living on the east coast to help expand an adolescent program. I fell in love with Lynne’s work ethic and commitment to the kids. I knew that anywhere she was at and part of I wanted to grow and learn from. When ONE was first started I would volunteer and bring in different workshops and empowerment groups for the kids, and volunteer with any events she was hosting.
Having gotten sober as a teenager myself, I felt the calling to be in the school system and try my best to make a change and difference amongst the students. This year I officially joined Lynne again as her Director of Culture Development at ONE.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has all been perfect and synchronistic in the way the Universe has saw fit. Initially, Lynne wanted to be on LA campuses because that is where the headquarters are located.
She would drive from Venice daily to do the drop-ins. When I joined her it was pretty perfect that the drop-in center was located right near my house where I could be readily available to the students and administrators. ONE is solely funded through donations, with that aspect there, of course, is always an added layer of stress and uncertainty. The donors and board members that have joined the works of ONE have been perfectly divine. That’s when I believe you are on the right path when everything is aligned.
Like any line of work, especially working with adolescents there can be days that are draining and all-consuming where you feel like you have nothing left to offer. In those moments, the kids show up at the perfect cue stating their appreciation and gratitude for the works of ONE. Reflecting back to when we had group of seniors who attended the suspension exchange program through ONE that would have otherwise had their college acceptance taken away from them or like last Friday when we had a big party in DTLA with a famous DJ to kickoff LA PRIDE weekend and you get to witness kids having fun and dancing in sobriety for the first time make those tough days okay.
We are lucky at ONE to have a founder like Lynne who is in the trenches with us and even when the road isn’t smooth, is kicking our butts and motivating us along the way for the greater purpose- supporting and inspiring adolescents.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
ONE ON CAMPUS is 501 (c) 3, non-profit that is dedicated to helping adolescents, their loved ones, and members of the community that are looking to increase their awareness.
There isn’t an attachment to the label or diagnosis; the struggle can just be life. We are rolling out ONE nationwide and working hard to get on school campuses everywhere. All are welcomed and loved at ONE> The teens who have drug problems, eating difficulties, bullying issues, mental health challenges, or just socially awkward that need a safe space to hang out and feel welcome. ONE offers free support groups in the community for teens and parents, as well as prolific events with the hope of raising awareness and consciousness- all while having a good time!!!
What were you like growing up?
Haha… I was a handful… I liked to bend the rules and see what I could get away with because I thought it was fun to keep people on their toes! My dad still reminds me to this day that one of my first sentences was “Faster daddy” when he would take me out on the farm to ride 4-wheelers. On the outside, I was very much considered to be a “good” kid. I was an honor student and graduated at the top of my class, a cheerleader where I made all-star and captain my senior year, and a state-ranked competitive tennis player. I grew up in a loving family with two parents, and two siblings.
On the outside, I appeared to “have it all”. What most people didn’t know about me though was that I struggled severely with depression and anxiety. I found in my early teen years that I could self-medicate my depression and anxiety with substances and my eating disorder. This worked for awhile until it didn’t when I crashed pretty hard at 19 and found recovery. I also found that if I put on a smile and was outgoing that people wouldn’t suspect the amount of pain I was in. I was fearful of admitting my struggles with depression and anxiety because I felt I didn’t “have anything to be depressed about”. I learned early on in recovery that mental health doesn’t discriminate. I loved live music, being out on the lake, and spending time with my friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.1recovery.com
- Phone: (888) 852.2201
- Email: [email protected]
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