When John and Susan McCallan made their first gift to Vail Health in 2022 to help establish addiction recovery programs in Eagle County, they were driven by a tragic loss. Their son Shane had died at 37 from complications related to alcoholism.
“There simply were no options here when Shane was at his lowest point,” John said, citing the lack of local resources at that time.
That experience stayed with the McCallans. When Vail Health Behavioral Health partnered with Rob Shearon to launch RECONNECTED, they knew they wanted to be involved. Today, they are inviting others to help ensure more people have somewhere to turn when they need support.
A Challenge to Invest in RECONNECTED
To help expand RECONNECTED’s impact, John and Susan are challenging our community to collectively raise at least $75,000 each year. If that goal is reached, they’ll contribute an additional $25,000 annually through 2030—a commitment of up to $125,000.
“The seeds that we planted are ready to grow,” he said. “Susan and I have been blessed to be in the position to support RECONNECTED from the beginning. It’s time to reach out to others to join us.”
Building Connection and Community
RECONNECTED helps people build lives in recovery through connection, community, and peer support. Participants are paired with recovery coaches who have lived experience. Support meetings are offered in both English and Spanish, and group activities range from hiking and skiing to pottery nights and a knitting club.
Since its founding in 2023, RECONNECTED has received more than 450 referrals and built partnerships with the Vail Health Crisis and Community Support Team, Eagle County Probation offices, and other community organizations. This past April was the highest referral month on record.
Rob’s own experience with addiction gives him a unique perspective on RECONNECTED’s mission. Like Shane, he struggled with addiction as a teen. He found recovery at CU Boulder’s Collegiate Recovery Center and returned home in 2022 to build the kind of community-based support that he didn’t have growing up here.
As RECONNECTED’s executive director, Rob is now focused on reaching people earlier, before a struggle becomes a crisis. That means expanding into local high schools, supporting valley employers, and connecting with people who don’t yet know help is available.
“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection,” Rob said.
Why It Matters
For John, supporting recovery is ultimately about community. “If you’re wondering why this matters, it’s because you love your neighbor,” he said.
As Rob puts it, “When somebody invests in RECONNECTED, we are changing and saving lives. It might be the first time that people feel like they matter.”
“Susan and I have been blessed to be in the position to support RECONNECTED from the beginning. It’s time to reach out to others to join us.”John McCallan