Hi friends,

The Campus Surge rolls on—and with every stop, I’m reminded that recovery isn’t a place, it’s a people. As National Recovery Month wrapped up in September, my next stop took me south to Arkansas. I didn’t exactly “find myself” there, but as has been true throughout this journey, I found something even better: connection.

From media interviews to late-night jams by the river, what unfolded over a few short days was a full picture of what recovery looks like in the heart of the South—joyful, resilient, and deeply rooted in community.

The journey south started with a flight into Little Rock. My first order of business was an interview at the local ABC affiliate. This is something I’ve always enjoyed – attention. In all seriousness, the one thing I’ve always been grateful for is the opportunity to shift the focus away from me and shine a light on a local coalition, cause or event.

Once again, I used this media attention to speak about Mobilize Recovery, the Campus Surge tour, and the next day’s event at the University of Central Arkansas, just up the road in Conway. I was also reminded that sitting in the Green Room before a “live at Five” type local news show never fails to provide unique, mostly comical moments. And so it was that in Little Rock, Arkansas I found myself sitting next to full sized Cricket mascot. I didn’t ask. We just nodded at each other and said, “S’up?” Two media pros just waiting around for our seven minutes.

Earlier that afternoon I had received a text from Stacey Franks, the only person I knew in Arkansas. I had met Stacey back in June at The Rural conference in Menomonie, WI (www.the-rural.org). When we met, she had mentioned that she was from Arkansas. I told her I would be speaking there in September. She remembered.

We agreed to meet the next day and grab coffee before UCA’s Campus Surge. Then she asked if I was sticking around Little Rock for the recovery event that evening. Now, I’ve been to recovery events, recovery rallies, recovery walks. I had never been to a Recovery Jam.

Check that... I had never been to a Recovery Jam in the South. And here was a southern Recovery Jam celebrating its 21st year. Boom! I parked my car and started walking toward the wall of music coming from the Rivermarket Pavillion. Well, that was the plan. Somewhere between my parked car and the festivities was an ice cream parlor. But that’s a different story.

The Jam was just underway, and it was a gorgeous southern night. I met Stacey and we made the rounds. I was introduced to the people and healthcare organizations that have been working tirelessly around the state with a passion for people that was contagious. I heard their histories and talked with their clients and alumni. It was joyous, celebratory, fun. It was a JAM. As I do at every event, I checked to see if the treatment or healthcare organizations I was talking to were listed on our site. I was happy to see that most of them were on Recovery.com.

But my time in Little Rock was almost up, and I needed to start making my way north to the campus of Central Arkansas University. A final stop was a tour of the ARMOR van, parked near the Arkansas River. A van by the river. There, I said it first.

ARMOR stands for Arkansas Mobile Opioid Recovery. This RV is a traveling clinic, providing care and health services to underserved rural communities throughout Arkansas This single bus does the work of ten and the mileage must certainly reflect that. But it was beautiful. Big, shiny, purple. I could only imagine the impact this vehicle and its dedicated staff have made since hitting the road in April 2024. To rural communities, ARMOR is a game changer and life saver.

The Recovery Jam put me in just the right frame of mind as I headed up the highway to Conway, Arkansas and Central Arkansas University. The next morning, I took a quick spin over to campus to get a feel for the location of that day’s Campus Surge. I saw the stage and the lawn next to the student center that was soon to be filled with resource tables and wellness services for students and the community. I also saw the big, purple ARMOR bus as it was pulling onto campus. When I popped into the bookstore to buy a t-shirt I even ran into Noah Thompson, the American Idol winning musical host of these Mobilize Recovery events. It was Surge time. Cue the hugs.

For the next few hours, I wandered among the recovery advocates, supporters, students and just basked in their passion and emotion. I began to meet students, which I had naturally expected. What I did not expect was meeting students who were there with their families. As I talked to these parents and younger siblings, I began to notice how they were looking at their student. Loving, hopeful, encouraging. One of the messages I had hoped to deliver on this tour was that today’s collegians had an unprecedented opportunity to redefine how we view the college experience.

I want to encourage them to use all the power of their voice, their advocacy. To lean into their resiliency and fearlessness and lead the effort to change culture on their campuses and communities.

As I made my way to the stage to deliver this message to students, I heard the university president, Houston Davis echoing those very sentiments. And it hit me, students driving the bus, supported by school administrators, and encouraged by families can make a profound and positive change on college campuses. That my friends is a campus surge. I saw it at UCA. And that was my message to those assembled in Conway, Arkansas.

As local musicians, The Band Census played the final, loud and fun notes to the event, I made my way over the big, purple RV. I wanted to say my good- byes to Stacey, Dr. Kristin Martin, Tucker Martin and the rest of the wonderful River Valley Medical Wellness team that sponsors ARMOR. I wish that I could someday travel the roads of rural Arkansas on that bus with them. And while I’m sure every community they reach considers themselves blessed by these visits. I heard every member of the River Valley team insist that they are the ones that are blessed. Those are the people I’m meeting on this journey. So, I guess I’m blessed too.

As I packed up and left Conway, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I’d witnessed in Arkansas—students standing shoulder-to-shoulder with families, campus leaders backing their efforts, and healthcare teams like ARMOR bringing life-saving care to rural communities on wheels. That’s what real change looks like: people linking arms and saying,

Each stop on this Campus Surge reminds me that recovery isn’t just about getting better—it’s about coming together. From the laughter of a Recovery Jam to a simple meal at Waffle House, Arkansas gave me a glimpse of hope that’s as big and bright as the Southern sky.

On to the next stop.

Tom

This article was originally published on Substack. Read more from Tom at https://substack.com/@thetomfarley