Eclipse Meeting at Emerge a Huge Success

Organizers: This was a once-in-a-lifetime event

Several dozen people at various stages of recovery, in addition to local community leaders from an assortment of organizations, gathered at the outdoor pavilion at Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative on Monday to celebrate the historic eclipse.

The event, which was sponsored and organized by the Hope Spot of Xenia, was a huge success.

In fact, as the moon passed between the sun and the Earth (which started at 3:08 p.m. with the final exit of the moon’s shadow at 3:19 p.m.) — everyone applauded and cheered.

The moon completely blocked the sun during the once-in-a-lifetime event, causing those in attendance to express awe. The sky became much darker, the weather got cooler and some of the stars in the sky became visible to the naked eye as if it were dawn or dusk.

The last total solar eclipse of this magnitude in Ohio was in 1806, according to state officials. 

“This was a great opportunity for community partners to easily come together and experience this once in a lifetime event,” said Amy Pulver Cofounder and Executive Director of the Hope Spot. “Everything went really well.”

Pulver is also a board member at Emerge. She and Hope Spot Cofounder Nathan Crago, Director of Housing at Emerge, watched the eclipse together after the 12-step meeting that preceded the cosmic event.

“The simplicity of this was very refreshing,” Pulver said. “The entertainment was free and it proves that as a community you can come together, and you don’t have to have all the food, prizes and entertainment. This allowed everyone to visit and have a great time. The simplicity of it brought me back to how important it is to get together as a community.”

About 75 people were present for the event.

The meeting started with longtime recovery community leader Tom Bennett of Jamestown speaking and giving an AA lead, which is equivalent to a personal testimony that outlines one’s journey into recovery. 

“We were able to provide glasses to those attending,” Pulver said. “Tom Bennett’s lead, as someone with 35 years in recovery who has helped countless people, was great to hear. It’s also great to see how he relates to and helps people in recovery. We couldn’t have done this at a better location. We always love to partner with Emerge.”

The Hope Spot, which is now operating out of its new location at 529 W 2nd St., Xenia, has been a local hub for people in recovery in this area for years.

The nonprofit organization’s mission is to empower individuals to achieve lasting recovery from substance misuse through self- directed approaches and community support. The organization also works to eliminate social stigma associated with addiction via education, advocacy, and community outreach.

“We aspire to be a leading voice for addiction recovery by enhancing resources and eliminating barriers to access every step of the way,” Pulver said. “Our staff member, Cameron Bolden, began planning for this whole thing long before everyone was talking about it. He did a great job!”

For more information about the Hope Spot, go to https://thehopespot.org/