Wellspring Center for Prevention brought community members and recovery advocates together on September 24 for its annual Tree of Hope Ceremony, recognizing the people and organizations helping individuals and families find support, connection and hope throughout Middlesex County.
This year, Wellspring presented the 2026 Tree of Hope Award to the Family Support Organization of Middlesex County and honored Jamie Platt, Recovery Coach Supervisor, as the 2026 Recovery Champion.
Held each September in recognition of National Recovery Month, the Tree of Hope Ceremony reflects a message that has guided the event since it began in 2002: recovery is possible, and it deserves to be celebrated. Over the years, the ceremony has recognized organizations providing treatment, peer support, counseling and other services that help individuals and families move forward.
Recognizing Family Support Organization of Middlesex County
The Family Support Organization of Middlesex County (FSO) was selected as the 2026 Tree of Hope recipient for its work supporting families of children facing emotional, behavioral, developmental, intellectual, juvenile justice or substance use challenges.
As a partner within New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care, FSO provides support, education and advocacy while helping families navigate services and connect with community resources. Its approach emphasizes family strengths and peer-to-peer support from caregivers who understand many of the challenges families are experiencing firsthand.
During the ceremony, Anarai Meza, Community Outreach Coordinator for FSO, spoke about the importance of lived experience in building genuine connections with families.
Meza explained that effective support is not simply about approaching someone as a professional or telling a family what to do. Instead, it is about listening, understanding and meeting families where they are.
Her remarks were also deeply personal. Meza shared her own family’s experience with substance use and recovery, including the years she spent raising her son while his father struggled and the significance of seeing recovery ultimately make reconnection possible.
Her story underscored why family support remains such an important part of the recovery process and why hope can extend far beyond the individual in recovery.
Jamie Platt Named 2026 Recovery Champion
Wellspring also recognized Jamie Platt as its 2026 Recovery Champion, an honor presented to an individual whose personal commitment helps light the way for others in recovery.
When introducing Platt, Wellspring’s Heather Ward emphasized both her enthusiasm for the work and her willingness to consistently show up for people and community organizations.
“Recovery is definitely possible, but we need the people out there. We need the people doing it,” Ward said.
She described Platt as someone whose compassion and enthusiasm are evident throughout her work, whether she is connecting with individuals directly or reaching out to community organizations to bring resources and support to local events.
For Platt, the recognition also reflected a recovery journey of her own.
“Recovery gave me something I never thought I would have, a second chance, a purpose, and the opportunity to turn my experiences into something that could help someone else,” she told those gathered.
Today, Platt works alongside the BlueCares team, helping people at moments when support can matter most. She described answering calls, sitting beside individuals in hospitals and helping connect people with treatment, housing and other resources.
Sometimes, she said, one of the most important things a person can offer is a simple promise:
“I won’t give up on you.”
Platt also credited the colleagues, friends and family members who supported her own journey and reflected on how dramatically her life has changed over the past 16 years.
“Sixteen years ago, I was trying to find my way in recovery,” she said. “I didn’t know where that road would take me.”
That road ultimately led her to a career helping others navigate their own paths forward.
“Recovery can take your hardest chapter and turn it into a life of purpose,” Platt said.
Celebrating the People Behind Recovery
Wellspring introduced its individual Recovery Champion recognition in 2017 to complement the Tree of Hope Award and recognize people whose leadership and personal commitment strengthen the recovery community.
This year’s honorees demonstrated two sides of that work.
The Family Support Organization of Middlesex County represents the importance of supporting caregivers and families as they navigate difficult circumstances. Platt’s story demonstrates the impact individuals in recovery can have when they use their experience to reach back and help someone else.
Together, their recognition reinforced a message heard throughout the ceremony: recovery does not happen in isolation. It is strengthened by people willing to listen, connect, advocate and remain beside someone through difficult moments.
For Platt, that work has transformed what was once one of the most difficult periods of her life into an opportunity to help others.
“Recovery gave me my life back,” she said. “Now I get to spend my life helping others to get theirs back.”
Wellspring Center for Prevention congratulates the Family Support Organization of Middlesex County and Jamie Platt and thanks everyone working throughout our communities to make recovery, reconnection and second chances possible.
Learn more about the Tree of Hope Ceremony, its history and past recipients.