When Mike and Robin Straley lost their daughter, Leah, to Fentanyl poisoning in 2018, they wanted to do something to keep her memory alive while serving others – particularly women in recovery. One year later, Leah’s Legacy was formed, serving more than 1,200 individuals in need to date.

Leah’s Legacy is a nonprofit organization that provides safe support to women who are seeking recovery from substance abuse and a path to wellness. Their services include family and individual recovery support services and educational workshops, such as Banking 101. While based out of Franklin County, the nonprofit also serves community members in Adams, Cumberland and Fulton counties.

WellSpan’s Summit Endowment grant allowed them to expand their services to support more women at Leah’s Gathering Place, where individuals meet to receive recovery support. The grant is impacting more than 100 individuals.

More than $464,000 was awarded to 14 WellSpan Summit Endowment grant recipients in June. Grants are awarded to community projects that advance our Community Health Improvement Plan.

“People are more likely to follow the advice from someone who has been through shared experiences than someone who hasn't, which is why peer specialists are so important – especially with treating addiction” says Julia Kint, community grants program administrator at WellSpan Health. “Leah's Legacy is supporting a growing need and providing a vulnerable population with additional access to care, which aligns with WellSpan's mission to create healthier communities for all.”

“We meet people where they are and listen carefully to what they really need so that our approach is individualized for each participant and their unique needs” says Sarah Fisher, certified family recovery specialist at Leah’s Legacy. “I’m helping individuals reach their full potential and form the steps they need to take to reach their goals. Recovery support helps meet participants’ non-treatment related needs. Many participants appreciate having someone to talk and relate to. It’s not just about abstaining from substances – it’s about finding yourself again.”

Leah’s Legacy also offers purple bags filled with essentials to women seeking change and who have taken steps to reclaim their lives from addiction. The idea for the bags came from Leah, who received an essentials bag herself while living in a sober home. She was so excited about the thoughtful gift, Robin and Mike recreated the bag Leah received after she passed. The purple bag has become the inspiration for many individuals to begin the first step to recovery.

“This program is about saving lives,” says Mike, co-founder of Leah’s Legacy. “We couldn’t save our daughter’s life but we’re trying to now help save as many others as we can. We’re taking our pain and turning it into passion – turning misery into a mission. It’s a tribute to Leah. She’s no longer here physically but we know she’s still with us.”

Leah Straley

Mike and Robin are grateful to WellSpan for the opportunity to serve so many individuals in the community.

“WellSpan has provided so much support to our organization over the last few years,” says Mike. “To see everything come together and grow has been phenomenal. It takes a village to do this work and help our community.”

Learn more about how we support our communities here.