2026 Voices for Recovery Luncheon and Awards
Thank You for Making the 2026 Voices for Recovery Luncheon & Awards a Success
On behalf of everyone at SAARA of Virginia, thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Voices for Recovery Luncheon & Awards such an incredible success.
From our sponsors and community partners to our volunteers, staff, board members, attendees, and everyone who worked behind the scenes, this event would not have been possible without your generosity, dedication, and belief in the power of recovery.
Each year, the Voices for Recovery Luncheon & Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate the people who make recovery possible. It is a chance to recognize the advocates, peers, providers, legislators, judges, families, and community leaders who work every day to ensure that individuals living with substance use and mental health challenges are met with hope, compassion, and opportunity. Your support allows us to shine a light on these stories and remind our community that recovery is not only possible—it is happening every day.
We would also like to extend our deepest congratulations to this year's award recipients, whose leadership and commitment continue to inspire us all:
Legislator of the Year: Delegate Rodney Willett
SAARA Employee of the Year: Michael Oyer
Peer of the Year: Joshua Clark
Recovery Champions of the Year: The Judges of the City of Richmond's Behavioral Health Dockets:
Judge Mansi Shah
Judge Jacqueline McClenney
Judge Claire Cardwell
Each of these individuals exemplifies what it means to lead with compassion, advocate for change, and create opportunities for recovery to flourish. We are honored to recognize their contributions and celebrate the impact they have made in the lives of countless Virginians.
A special thank you goes to our incredible speakers, Dziko Singleton and Cristy Corbin, for sharing their stories and inspiring everyone in attendance. Your willingness to speak openly about your journeys, your resilience, and the hope that recovery brings served as a powerful reminder of why we gather each year. By sharing your lived experiences, you helped reduce stigma, encourage understanding, and remind us all that recovery is real, possible, and worth celebrating. Thank you for your courage, authenticity, and for leaving such a lasting impact on everyone in the room.
To our sponsors and partners, thank you for investing in this event and in the recovery community. Your support made it possible for us to recognize these incredible individuals while bringing together advocates, providers, peers, policymakers, and community members from across the Commonwealth. Together, we continue to reduce stigma, elevate lived experience, and build stronger communities where recovery can thrive.
To our volunteers and staff, thank you for the countless hours of planning, organizing, setting up, welcoming guests, and ensuring every detail came together. Your passion and commitment are the reason this event was such a memorable experience.
And to everyone who attended, thank you for choosing to celebrate recovery with us. Your presence sends a powerful message that recovery matters, that the people doing this work matter, and that together we can continue creating communities where every person has the opportunity to heal and thrive.
We are already looking forward to next year's Voices for Recovery Luncheon & Awards and continuing this tradition of recognizing those who make recovery possible every day.
From all of us at SAARA of Virginia—thank you for standing with us and for helping make recovery visible, celebrated, and supported across Virginia.
