Our Collective Journey

09/02/2026

OCJ is looking for new board members, but we are not just looking for names to fill seats around a table. We are looking for people who believe in the work we are doing and want to help shape where it goes next!

Our Collective Journey began with a simple belief: no one should have to navigate recovery or life’s hardest moments alone. Today, that belief has grown into recovery coaching, youth resiliency programs, community partnerships, Pathways to Recovery, the From Darkness to Life podcast and events that bring thousands of people together and help showcase connection, recovery, and community.

As an OCJ board member, you will help guide the decisions that keep this work moving forward. You will also have opportunities to see that work in action, whether that means attending a program, supporting a fundraiser or being part of incredible community events such as SARRCon and the Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival.

The average time commitment is approximately four hours per month on average, with additional time occasionally required for committee work, events, and other board responsibilities. We are looking for people who will come prepared, contribute their perspective and care about building stronger, more connected communities.

You do not need to have personal experience with recovery to bring something valuable to this board; you simply need to believe that people deserve support, connection and the opportunity to move forward.

Interested in joining us? Please fill out the application form here: https://forms.gle/4vnh8v9Z8DRDnmko6

Share this post with someone who would be a great fit for OCJ! We look forward to working with you!

08/31/2026

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day.

For some people, today is about raising awareness, but for others it is deeply personal; It is a name, a face, a person they loved, and a life they wish had been given more time.

Today, we remember every person who has been lost to overdose, and we hold space for the families, friends and communities who have been left behind.

Grief after an overdose can be complicated. There can be so many unanswered questions, anger, guilt, sadness and things left unsaid. If that is part of your story, and we hope you know there is space for you here, too.

We also think about the people who are still here; The people struggling with substance use, those working toward recovery, and the families and friends who love them and may not always know how to help.

Our OCJ Recovery Coaches will be at the International Overdose Awareness Day event at the Medicine Hat Public Library today from 4–7 PM. They’ll be there to connect with anyone who has been affected by substance use, share what recovery coaching can offer, and help individuals and their loved ones learn more about the resources and supports available in our community.

You don’t need to know exactly what kind of help you need before you reach out, because that’s what we are here for.

Today we remember those we have lost and to stand beside those who miss them. We continue to believe in recovery, connection and hope for those who are still here.

Want to connect with a recovery coach? Send as an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 403-866-8118.

08/28/2026

It’s time for back to school, if you can believe it! Coach Derrick and Coach Kasey are hitting the ground running this year at the mmccoy_mh Back to School Event today.

We are excited to be here because it gives us the chance to connect with parents and youth about resilience, offer some tips on how to practice resiliency throughout the school year, and talk about our September programming.

Rumour has it Coach Derrick graced these halls himself once upon a time. What a full circle moment!

Looking to incorporate resiliency tools into your workplace or classroom? We would love to help you out with that! Drop us a line at [email protected] to see how we can work together.

08/25/2026

When someone you love is struggling with substance use, it’s easy for their recovery to start taking up a lot of space in your own life. You worry, watch for signs that things are getting better or worse, try to say the right thing, make things easier, keep the peace or somehow find the thing that will finally make a difference.

Supporting someone you love matters, but their recovery cannot become your responsibility alone.

You can encourage them, you can listen, and you can celebrate their progress and remind them that help is available! You can also set boundaries, take care of yourself, and recognize that you cannot make someone choose recovery or do the work for them.

That doesn’t mean you’ve stopped caring, it means you’re making room for your own wellbeing, too.

At OCJ, we know substance use doesn’t only affect the person who is struggling. Families and loved ones need support, connection and a place to talk about what they’re experiencing, too!

That’s part of why Pathways to Recovery exists. It’s a space for people in recovery and the family members and loved ones walking alongside them to connect with others who understand.

Join us for our next Pathways to Recovery meetings at the Medicine Hat Public Library from 6:30 to 7:30 PM on September 3 and September 20.

Because you can love someone deeply, support their recovery, and still take care of yourself along the way.

Looking for support on your own Recovery Journey? Connect with a Recovery Coach by emailing us at [email protected]

08/23/2026

Back to school means getting back into routines, seeing friends and taking on new challenges. It can also mean a little more stress, uncertainty and pressure.

The good news is that resilience is something we can build and strengthen. Research from leading experts in child and youth resilience gives us three great places to start:

1. Stay connected.
Friends, family members, teachers, coaches and other trusted adults matter. Having people you can talk to and ask for help is one of the strongest protective factors when life gets difficult.

2. Focus on what you can control.
A big assignment, a new school or a difficult class can feel overwhelming. Break challenges into smaller steps, set a goal for what you can do today and build from there.

3. Practice getting through the hard stuff.
Resilience doesn’t mean never feeling stressed, frustrated or disappointed. It means learning how to manage those feelings, problem-solve and keep moving forward and those skills get stronger with practice.

As students head back to class, remember: you don’t have to have everything figured out on day one. Every challenge you work through is another opportunity to build the skills that will help you handle the next one!

If you are interested in Resiliency or Recovery Coaching in your classroom or workplace, reach out to us at [email protected]

08/19/2026

That’s a wrap on Rolling Through It!

Over the past six weeks, we watched a group of young people show up, try something new, challenge themselves and, yes, even take a few falls along the way.

Each week of Rolling Through It combined time on a skateboard with conversations about resilience. We talked about perseverance, learning from our falls, working through frustration and what it feels like to keep trying when something doesn’t come easily.

And the kids put those lessons into practice right in front of us!

Some learned new tricks, and others built on skills they already had. Everyone had moments where something they had been working toward finally clicked, and seeing the pride and excitement when that happened was easily one of the best parts of the program.

What stood out most was how hard these kids tried from beginning to end. They encouraged each other, kept getting back on their boards and proved to themselves that progress doesn’t always happen on the first try.

By the final week, they were already asking if Rolling Through It would be back next year and we’d say that’s a pretty good sign that this one was a hit.

A huge congratulations to every young person who took part. We hope you walked away with some great memories, new skills and a little more confidence in your ability to get back up when life knocks you down.

And a big thank you to the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association for bringing their knowledge and encouragement each week, and to the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta for providing the funding that made this program possible.

This is what can happen when community organizations work together to create opportunities for young people!

08/17/2026

This week at Kickstand! 👇

There's lots of fun activities happening at Kickstand this week thanks to our friends from Our Collective Journey and the final session of our Summer Together series with Medicine Hat Public Library who will be at Kickstand this week🥰

Join us to learn crocheting basics, baking soda painting, our Summer Together Swap Meet, a Comedy/Talent Show, and Animal Beaded Keychains.

We'll also be out in the community at Fresh Start to School and the Battle of the Hat Memorial Tournament in support of The Carter Morris Legacy Project .

Check out the calendar for all the details, we hope to see you this week!

08/14/2026

Recovery can feel overwhelming when you’re standing at the beginning and looking at everything you think you need to change, but you don’t have to figure out the rest of your life today. Sometimes it starts with one decision to do something differently and see where it takes you.

Today can be day one, whether this is your first time reaching out for help or you’ve been down this road before and are ready to try again.

At Our Collective Journey, our Recovery Coaches use their own lived experience to support people through the realities of recovery. There’s no judgment and no expectation that you show up with a plan already in place; we can help you figure out what that plan looks like and connect you with the support you need along the way.

If you’ve been thinking about making a change, reach out to OCJ. You might be more ready than you think.

Let’s find out together. Call our intake line at 403-866-8118 or email us at [email protected]

We can walk this journey with you.

08/10/2026

We are so excited to be a part of this amazing retreat this week! Thanks to our friends and partners at Redcliff Youth Centre for the invitation!

08/10/2026

A lot of the activities our Resiliency Coaches do with youth might look like they’re just for fun, but there’s usually a lot more behind them.

Whether it’s making friendship bracelets, learning to skateboard, creating nebula jars or doing an activity at Kickstand, there’s a reason our coaches choose the activities they do. They give young people an opportunity to connect with others, try something new, work through frustration, build confidence and learn healthy ways to manage their emotions.

Those might seem like small things, but they’re all part of building resilience.

When young people have strong coping skills, supportive relationships and people they trust to turn to when things get difficult, they’re better equipped to handle challenges as they get older. That’s why we believe resiliency work is also prevention work.

We want kids to have those tools long before they find themselves in a situation where they really need them.

Interested in having a resiliency coach in your school or workplace? Email us at [email protected]