HARRISBURG – Michael and Robin Straley, of Antrim Township, marked National Recovery Month in Pennsylvania’s Capitol, where they talked about their nonprofit organization and offered pampering makeovers and encouragement to dozens of people in recovery from substance abuse.
Mike Straley addressed a sizable crowd in the Capitol Rotunda for Recovery Advocacy Day on Sept. 24, describing how he and his wife held a memorial service for their daughter, Leah, on the same 2018 day they had much-anticipated dinner plans with her.
“She is forever 26,” he said.
Leah Renee Straley’s cause of death was listed as fentanyl poisoning. Her family says her struggles with addiction began more than a decade earlier and persisted through 12 stays in detox centers.
The Straleys built Leah’s Legacy around efforts to gift personal care items to women living in sober-living homes. They do so while remembering how their daughter was so excited to receive a bag with toiletries during Christmas 2017.
Each Leah’s Legacy drawstring bag has high-quality socks, hairbrushes, deodorant, puzzle books, body wash, snacks and more. More than 500 have been gifted to women in recovery
Leah Straley’s loved ones expanded the organization’s reach to include Leah’s Gathering Place, a home where they run a bake shop, life skills meetings and workshops, and offer spa-like sessions for those in recovery.
“Our goal is to become a resource hub and have a certified recovery specialist or certified family recovery specialist work at Leah’s Gathering Place and be open during specific days,” Robin Straley said, saying they have been seeking grants for the position.
Mike Straley authored “The CALLing,” a book that takes readers on an emotional journey of parents struggling to understand their own daughter’s battle with addiction, the grief of losing a child and their valiant efforts to make a difference in the lives of others fighting the same addiction.
Leah’s Legacy seeks monetary donations to buy in bulk for the bags of supplies, as items are purchased to ensure each bag has the same items. Sixty dollars covers the contents of one bag along with a bath towel.
Learn more about Leah’s Legacy or order a copy of “The CALLing” at leahslegacy.net.
