Sunrise's 2022 Impact Report

Read Sunrise's 2025 IMPACT

Read about Sunrise's programs and how your support made it possible for our staff of Certified Peer Support Specialists to provide education, resource connection and authentic peer support to thousands of people in our community.

Read 2025 Impact Report One-Pager

Our Drop In Center is open!

Drop in at our Recovery Community Center located at 209 Tunnel Road between Compass Point Village and IHOP. Stop in anytime between 8AM-6PM to speak to our Certified Peer Support Specialists, get connected to resources or just enjoy a cup of coffee in a safe, non-judgemental space.

2026 Peer Support Conference Tickets on sale now!

Join Sunrise on October 13th-15th, 2026 for three days of engagement, connection and support at our 2026 Peer Support Conference!

Conference Info and Tickets

Drop-in Center participants
in the past four years

Reported overdose reversals
through distributed Naloxone

Peer Supported
Interactions in 2025

Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness believes everyone deserves the chance to see tomorrow. But anxiety, trauma and isolation are symptoms contributing to a massive rise in substance use, mental health challenges and unintended overdose deaths.

We are a non-profit Recovery Community Organization (RCO), led and governed by those in the recovery community and their allies, offering education, peer support and resource navigation at no cost. Our team utilizes their lived experience to provide authentic peer support, resource navigation, harm reduction, education, and a pathway to becoming a certified peer support specialist to individuals struggling with trauma that often leads to houselessness, substance use, mental health issues, and/or justice involvement.

Sunrise helps fill gaps in systems of care for some of our most vulnerable populations- the houseless, the recently incarcerated, and those experiencing mental wellness and substance use challenges. We offer opportunities for individuals to discover their own journey to recovery through peer support, free services, resource connection with community partners and a pathway to gainful employment as a Peer Support Specialist. Our staff are the hands and heart of our organization and are able to connect with participants in an authentic, evidence-based way that removes stigma, reduces isolation and lowers instances of incarceration, hospitalization and recidivism.

At Sunrise we accept and respect people of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientation, socio economic status, age, physical ability, religious belief, treatment choices, and various mental, emotional, and physical challenges. We celebrate diversity in a safe and positive environment. It is our responsibility to abide by these guidelines to create a safe and inclusive environment for all.

The power of your impact 2024-2026

The past two years have been filled with struggle, challenges and triumphs, and we could not have risen to the challenge without YOU and YOUR SUPPORT!

Please check out our 2024 IMPACT VIDEO (above) to hear directly from our Program Coordinators and the impact your support made in 2024.

Then check out our 2025 Impact One-Pager (right) to see how your support has allowed to reach even MORE peers struggling with trauma.

What is a Certified Peer
Support Specialist?

Peer Support is a pathway to stable employment for individuals who typically face insurmountable barriers to the workforce such as justice involvement and gaps in their job history due to substance use and/or mental wellness issues. It is an evidence-based model where individuals use their lived experience to provide support, resources and hope to others. Individuals must have a year or more of recovery and complete 50-hours of training accredited through UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, such as Sunrise’s Pathway to Recovery followed by an additional 20 hours of continued education through Sunrise’s no-cost Peer University or other professional trainings.

A 2018 report from Mental Health America states that peer support lowers the overall cost of mental health services by reducing re-hospitalization rates and days spent in inpatient services, improving quality of life, increasing engagement with services, whole health and self-management.

Watch this 3-minute video to learn the steps to becoming a Certified Peer Support Specialist, the history and the impact of these community change-makers.

Peer support specialists practice in a range of settings, including peer-run organizations, recovery community centers, recovery residences, drug courts and other justice system settings, hospital emergency departments, child welfare agencies, homeless shelters, and behavioral health and primary care settings, just to name a few.

Need a Support Group?

Visit one of our Drop-In Recovery Centers for a Support Group, Community Activity or to connect with a Peer Support Specialist.

Click on the City name below to link to the webpage and support schedule.

Asheville: 209 Tunnel Road, Asheville NC 28805
Cherokee: 52 Keener Cabin Road 28719
Sylva: 582 W. Main Street, Sylva NC 28779

Donate

Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness is funded solely by grants and donations.

We have a variety of giving options, from making a gift of stock, donating using your donor advised fund, or providing an in-kind gift.

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Upcoming Events

Support groups and community events take place in-person at each of our Drop-In Recovery Centers located in Asheville, Cherokee on the Qualla Boundary and in Sylva in Jackson County.

Asheville: Check out the Asheville Drop In Recovery Center Support Group & Community Activity Schedule
Cherokee: Check out the Support Group and Culturally-Aligned Activities Schedule at the Tohi Edasdi Recovery Community Center on the Qualla Boundary
Sylva: Check out the Jackson County Recovery Community Center Schedule of Support Groups and Wellness Activities.