The July YPR Academy webinar, led by Sera Samson—YPR’s Director of Health Equity—focused on “asset mapping,” a community-driven way to pinpoint the people, places and practices that already foster recovery where we live. Rather than starting with what a community lacks, asset mapping spotlights existing strengths: peer leaders, faith centers, parks, mutual-aid groups, pro-bono legal clinics, even reliable Wi-Fi or tenants’ unions. Sera explained that elevating these assets helps chapters create culturally responsive, equitable recovery spaces and prevents common missteps—like designing programs that overlook local culture or reinforce mistrust.
Attendees learned four core skills: defining asset mapping and its importance; recognizing a wide range of recovery-supporting assets; using maps to build inclusive partnerships; and applying the method inside their own YPR chapters. After a quick demonstration of Google My Maps, participants broke into small groups, searched their zip codes for three-to-five assets, and built starter maps with layered icons for recovery centers, food banks and more. The exercise revealed overlooked resources—from churches doubling as food banks to chambers of commerce eager to connect nonprofits—and highlighted the value of local “knowledge keepers” whose lived experience anchors authentic outreach.
Sera closed by showing how completed maps can guide outreach, inform event planning, track chapter growth and celebrate community wins. She encouraged everyone to keep refining their maps, share them in YPR’s Slack, and reach out for help. Recommended reading, including Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, underscored the broader point: when recovery efforts begin with community strengths, they gain trust, relevance and staying power.
