In a small mountain-top community like ours, it can be easy to believe that struggles with alcohol and substance use happen somewhere else—somewhere farther away. But the truth is closer, quieter, and more personal. It lives in our neighborhoods, our families, and sometimes behind doors we pass every day.

Addiction often thrives in silence. In close-knit communities, that silence can be even stronger shaped by pride, fear of judgment, or simply not knowing where to turn. But if there is one thing that defines this community, it is not isolation—it is connection.

Recovery isn’t a single moment. For many, it begins with a simple step: a conversation, a moment of honesty, or the realization that they are not alone.

Living up here has its challenges. Getting to services isn’t always easy. Transportation can be limited. And stigma still lingers. But alongside those challenges is something just as real—a growing sense that we’re in this together.

Through Mountain Top Cares and the efforts of many local partners, more people are finding support, information, and a way forward. Neighbors are talking more openly. Organizations are working side by side. Bit by bit, a stronger safety net is taking shape.

Recovery is about more than stopping substance use. It’s about rebuilding a life—restoring relationships, finding purpose, and feeling part of something again. It’s about families healing and a community learning to respond with compassion.

Coming together matters. Events like the Mountain Top Cares Fundraiser, Friday 3/27 at 7 pm at Last Chance Tavern in Tannersville, are about more than gathering—they’re about strengthening the connections that make recovery possible.

We thank NBT Bank of Windham and Last Chance Tavern for their generous sponsorship! 

Hope grows when it’s shared. And here on the mountain, no one needs to stand alone!

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Jonathan Gross

President

Mountain Top Cares Coalition

PO Box 895

Windham, NY 12496

914-523-3766

https://www.mountaintopcarescoalition.com