SEATTLE — Grammy-winning Seattle rap star Macklemore is using his personal story of pain and addiction to help teens in recovery.
The musician, real name Ben Haggarty, has been vocal about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. That's why he is boosting efforts around a sober after-school program in Seattle called "Bridges."
The peer support group for adolescents gathers several times every week in an old classroom in the Phinney Neighborhood Association. The space is small, but the program is making big changes in the lives of teens who are enrolled.
"Bridges is doing an amazing job with the activities with the meetings that they're doing, giving kids something to do that's clean and sober," said Haggarty. "I think that that's what we as human beings are striving for, is to be seen and heard as part of a community."
Haggarty and his wife Tricia are now helping to support the non-profit through fundraisers and charity events. Tricia is on the board of directors for Bridges.
With funding cuts to recovery programs in Washington state, teenagers are left with fewer resources. At the same time, youth addiction rates and opioid death rates have doubled in recent years.
"Teenagers are so used to people forcing them to do stuff," said Ryan Orrison, program director for Bridges.
Orrison is a former drug treatment counselor who is working to grow Bridges.
"As long as this is their space, it's all part of the process of empowering them," Orrison said.
For teenagers like Ben, the Bridges program has been a way to feel whole again.
"We all have one thing in common, and that’s being sober," Ben said. " I also see people similar to me in a lot of ways and see them succeed. Which inspires me a lot."
If you're interested in inquiring about the Bridges program for yourself, or someone in your life, you can do that here.