Community Art Project Represents Hope for Recovering Women

A community mosaic that represents hope amidst the opioid epidemic has found a home at a local recovery house for women.

The mosaic, which is done in purple for Talbot Goes Purple and spells hope, will live at the Gratitude House for women in Easton. Local artist Jen Wagner designed the project, which community members at an overdose awareness day event in Easton on Aug. 31 completed. Sherry Collier, founder of Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women, organized the event.

Photo: Local artist Jen Wagner, top right, presents a community mosaic project to Sara Rissolo, top left, owner of the Gratitude House in Easton. Community members worked on the mosaic at a recent overdose awareness event, organized by Sherry Collier, second from left, founder of Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women. Also pictured are Alexandria S, bottom left; Stacy Garland, top right; Amy Jo Davis, middle right; and Tavoy Benjamin, bottom right.

The event honored those lost to drug overdoses and provided education and awareness on prevention efforts and local recovery resources. Collier included the community mosaic as a reminder that there is always hope for people battling a substance use disorder. Housing the mosaic at a recovery house seemed fitting, Collier said.

“Thank you to Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women for giving us a visual representation of the hope that we wish to instill in our residents,” said Sara Rissolo, owner of the Gratitude House for women. Rissolo and her husband opened the women’s house on June 14. The couple last year opened a men’s house in Easton. Both recovery houses are state-certified.

A grant from the Mid-Shore Arts Council partially funded the mosaic.

For information on the recovery house, email Rissolo at [email protected]. If you or someone you know needs help for substance use disorder, call your local health department.