HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β A Christmas tradition at the McShin Foundation in Henrico brings together people in recovery who might otherwise spend the holiday alone.
For the past four years, Barbie Hunt has volunteered to prepare Christmas brunch for fellow recovery participants who can't return home for the holidays.
"I like to come in on the holidays. They say you can't keep what you've got if you don't give it away," Hunt said. "Now I'm making Christmas brunch for people in recovery for people who can't go home. I'm kind of trying to make home come here."
Hunt, who has over four years in recovery, credits the McShin Foundation with saving her life.
"McShin saved my life. It's my home," Hunt said. "It's a safe place for addicts to gather and it makes people like a community."
The Christmas meal features ham, turkey, stuffing, baked macaroni, mashed potatoes with gravy, and plenty of desserts. Raymond Ruybe, McShin's Director of Data and Quality Control, has spent his Christmas serving others for the past four years.
"I love what this organization does. This organization creates a community and a safe space for folks who are suffering from substance use disorder, and where else are you going to find healing and family than all together over a meal," Ruybe said.
The sense of togetherness is crucial for those in recovery, according to Ruybe, because isolation can be particularly dangerous for people struggling with addiction.
"Any kind of addiction or behavioral health issue, it feeds off isolation. Being isolated, being alone, feeling shame, feeling guilt and we give people an outlet to come and be surrounded by others so that they can get out of their own head, get out of their own way so they can be surrounded by other people who are committed to the healing process," Ruybe said.
The McShin Foundation operates as a completely nonprofit organization, relying on private funding and volunteers like Ruybe and alumni to support their mission. For staff members, seeing participants succeed in their recovery journey provides the greatest reward.
"One of the greatest things that can happen for us is when we see the light go on in someone's eyes when they realize, 'Hey I'm starting to get this.' And it's the best reward in the world," Ruybe said.
Hunt represents one of many success stories from the organization.
"Barbie is just one of our alums that have gone on to lead highly successful lives. I would say Barbie is like one of 1,000," Ruybe said.
For Hunt, her journey has given her a clear sense of purpose.
"I used to ask God, why am I here, why am I here⦠and now I know why. I have a purpose here," Hunt said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
