EP 63 | Karen Petersen | Director of Development, Wellstone
Karen Petersen is an inspiration! Currently, Karen works and serves the community in her role as Director of Development at Wellstone. Karen was overcome with her own addiction to alcohol for 15 years of her life. She is now 20+ years sober and shares her story to inspire others that there is Hope! We can overcome those addictions that just seem impossible to overcome. In addition to sharing her own story, Karen talks about the many advances and improvements in Huntsville to helping those with mental health issues, addiction, and so much more where a concerted effort is being placed into bringing more treatment centers to our area. Karen is actively involved through events like the Beacon of Hope to raise the money needed to bring a much needed in-patient facility to North Alabama. We also discuss her Norwegian roots, the exciting times ahead for her family, and so much more.
00:00 Start
00:51 Intro
02:02 Shoutouts and TPG Sponsorship
04:30 Petersen Daughters
08:30 Troy Owes his Big Sister
11:02 Karen Having Kids
13:05 Wellstone & Mental Health Addiction Intro
15:38 YMCA Health Fair and State of Mental Health
19:40 Hiring on at Wellstone
23:38 Mental Health Facility
29:28 I Can't Be Diagnosed
31:53 Getting Treatment
35:26 Peer Counseling
37:41 Recharge
40:28 Embedding Professionals
44:51 Showing True Colors
47:14 Entrepreneurial Spirit
48:58 Raising Funds
51:43 Beacon of Hope
55:39 Lauren Sisler's story
01:00:39 First Stop Partnership
01:01:48 Attendance Targets & Sponsorships
01:04:48 Breaking the Cycle
01:08:49 Growth and Impact of the Event
01:14:38 Surname and Parents Story
01:22:29 Homecoming Story – Origin of Alcohol
01:29:23 Comparison to Siblings
01:31:17 College Years
01:36:37 Friends Circle/Blog Post
01:42:37 Never Lost Hope/Getting Help
01:44:30 "I AM TOO" Moment
01:47:27 Parents & Journal Entry
01:50:37 Overcoming Temptation
01:54:10 I Love You & I Am Too
01:55:39 Conclusion
For more information on Wellstone visit their website at https://wellstone.com
For more information on the 2023 Beacon of Hope visit https://go.wellstone.com/boh23
Host/Interviewer: M. Troy Bye, Owner, Our Town Podcast
Website: www.ourtownpodcast.net
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