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Pillars and beams
podcast
Conversations about co-creating better more effective recovery and support services programs.
Recovery in the Hmong Community with Xianna MouaYang
Xianna MouaYang, co-founder of Koom Recovery, shares her powerful story of overcoming addiction, cultural stigma, and generational silence within the Hmong community. In this episode of Pillars and Beams, Xianna opens up about the unique challenges she faced growing up, how her personal journey led to healing, and why culturally-specific recovery support is crucial for lasting change.
Whether you’re in recovery, supporting a loved one, or simply want to better understand how faith, culture, and resilience intersect — this conversation is for you.
Whether you’re in recovery, supporting a loved one, or simply want to better understand how faith, culture, and resilience intersect — this conversation is for you.
Jesse Kaplan’s Journey of Addiction, Identity & Redemption | Part I
Jesse Kaplan’s story starts in chaos—neglect, abuse, and survival from his earliest years. By age 5, he was escaping a locked room to feed his baby brother. By 13, he was selling drugs, armed, and constantly on the run. What followed were years of addiction, seven felonies, and four prison sentences.
But this isn’t just a story about hitting rock bottom. It’s about what happened next.
In this episode of Pillars & Beams, Jesse shares his powerful journey through trauma, addiction, and identity—and how he encountered a grace that wouldn’t let go. Now working in recovery, outreach, and peer training, Jesse helps others find the freedom he almost gave up on.
But this isn’t just a story about hitting rock bottom. It’s about what happened next.
In this episode of Pillars & Beams, Jesse shares his powerful journey through trauma, addiction, and identity—and how he encountered a grace that wouldn’t let go. Now working in recovery, outreach, and peer training, Jesse helps others find the freedom he almost gave up on.
How Co-Creation Changed the Game for Recovery Training
What do you do when there's not enough time or budget, and no off-the-shelf solution for your recovery program’s needs?
Healing the Whole Family: Tara's Bold New Model for Recovery
Tara Heald didn’t just open a sober living home, she created a space where entire families could begin to heal. In this episode, Tara shares how The Lion House and Brownstone are breaking the mold of traditional recovery by focusing not just on the individual, but on the people who love them.
Funding, Policy & Community
Wendy Jones is the Executive Director of MARCO (Minnesota Alliance of Recovery Community Organizations) and a longtime nonprofit leader who helped shape the recovery landscape in Minnesota. In this episode of Pillars & Beams, she shares how systems thinking, sustainability, and shared leadership can strengthen recovery communities statewide.
Recovery Leadership in the Hmong Community
Addiction is often hidden in silence and stigma, especially in cultural contexts where speaking out brings shame to families and communities. In this episode of Pillars & Beams, we sit down with Yeng Moua of Koom Recovery (Join Recovery) to explore how he and his family are breaking through cultural barriers in the Hmong community.
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