Before you learn about Project Recovery you need to know where the vision for this non-profit came from. Our Executive Director, Tracy Skaggs, would not be the woman she is today if it were not for her late husband of 30 years. Jeffrey T. Skaggs (Jeff) truly ignited her desire for harm reduction, advocacy, and advancing the human rights of people who use drugs, and their families. As an educated woman, she was able to navigate her way through the social service system with the help of barrier-free mental health services. This led her to find her path of recovery. Jeff, however, was not as fortunate.

Watching Jeff being beaten down by the criminal justice system, denied and rejected by mental health/addiction providers sparked the idea that later became Project Recovery. Tracy knew that no matter how deep her love for Jeff, she alone could not help him. That is when she vowed to create change. Tracy began her journey by enrolling in a Social Work Program to learn the skills needed to make this world a better place one day at a time.

When Tracy began her educational journey she not only had the goal of establishing a non-profit organization but to also break down the barriers faced by people who use drugs and to reduce stigma. She hoped this dream would be achieved together but unfortunately, Jeff lost his battle to a fentanyl overdose on October 4, 2021. Jeff was a good man who loved his family and he is deeply loved and missed. Although his life on earth is gone, Tracy continues to pursue social justice by advancing the human rights of others just like him, in his honor and memory. Jeff’s story is not over; his story lives on through us and through Project Recovery.