At Butler SUCCEED Wednesday, Rob Kummer reads writings about his life and experiences, which he and other people in recovery wrote with Slippery Rock University students during several workshops.

Among the things Rob Kummer thought he would never be after going through addiction was an author.

But Wednesday evening, Kummer found himself signing copies of compilation books in which his writing is featured at an event at Butler SUCCEED. Kummer was just one writer who rediscovered his story for the writing project for people in recovery organized by Slippery Rock University.

Kummer took part in multiple workshops with students and other people in recovery during which they walked through several writing prompts made to spur creative writing skills.

“I was apprehensive about coming initially,” Kummer said. “But it was a really positive experience; it's really helpful to speak about your experiences.”

Through the workshops, five writers were published in a compilation put together by SRU and students in writing programs. On Wednesday, the authors read their works to an audience at Butler SUCCEED, which also opened a dialogue with students and community members.

Alice Del Vecchio, director of SRU's Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, said the project was meant to create relationships that foster mutual benefit.

“We do a lot of things to, for and at people in addiction,” Del Vecchio said. “That is much different than doing things with them.”

Del Vecchio said the project was led by Kayla Rennie, who works in the Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, but she was unable to attend the reading event.

More than a dozen SRU students were part of the program, and worked with their authors to process the writing prompts. The prompts encouraged writers to reflect on their past, and had them discuss what their favorite food was as a kid, their weirdest hairstyle ever and what brought them to recovery.

Melina Bowser, a junior creative writing major at SRU, said working on the project was an educational experience in more ways than one.

“Just finding that compassion to end the stigma and hear their stories directly from them,” Bowser said, “it was really beneficial to someone who lives near Butler.”

Sharing stories with members of the community was the culmination of the project's mission, Del Vecchio said. After the readings, several people complimented the stories and the project itself, which Del Vecchio said is a positive sign for the future of the project.

“Recovery isn't easy and we need to celebrate the people making steps,” Del Vecchio said. “Every one of us has a responsibility to be part of the solution.”

Del Vecchio said she hopes to see the project continue and grow into the future, especially after seeing the impact it made on the lives of the first five authors of the class.

“When people are experiencing addiction, their hands are full of drugs,” Del Vecchio said. “When they go into treatment and are in recovery, their hands are empty. They need to find new things to fill them.”

Kummer said he is looking forward to seeing the program continue as well as others hosted by Butler SUCCEED, such as the drum circle nights. He also said the writing helped him process his recovery, and he encourages other people in need to attend a future session.

“It's hard to witness someone going through their worst point,” Kummer said. “But it's like they said, when you keep things hidden from everyone that's not helping anyone.”