U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean and Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila H. Winder will each take the stage with a family member on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to talk publicly about addiction and recovery at the county's second annual Reflections on Recovery event in Norristown.
Dean, who represents Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District including Lower Merion Township, will appear alongside her son Harry Cunnane. The two co-authored Under Our Roof: A Son's Battle with Recovery, a Mother's Battle for Her Son, published in 2021. Cunnane is now 14 years in recovery.
Winder, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, will be joined by her brother Randy Winder, a substance use navigator at the Penn Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy. The siblings plan to discuss their family's path from addiction to healing.
"Our family knows firsthand the joy and beauty in recovery. I am deeply proud of my son Harry, now 14 years in recovery and dedicated to bringing that hope to people struggling with the disease of addiction," Dean said in a county press release. She added that her family shares their story "to help break the stigma—and to let others know that recovery is possible."
Winder said she is grateful to share the stage with her brother, who she described as "living proof that recovery is possible." She added that it is important for elected leaders to foster dialogue that reduces stigma around substance use disorder and offers hope for long-term recovery.
The panel will also address how leaders can draw on lived experience to shape advocacy and inform policy for families affected by substance use disorder. Gary Hendler, host of Clean and Sober Radio, will moderate the conversation, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m.
A free Resource and Networking Fair featuring local service providers and community organizations begins at 2:30 p.m. The event falls during National Recovery Month, observed each September.
Registration is required.
The deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 8. Residents can find registration details at MontgomeryCountyPA.gov/RecoveryEvent. The county has not yet announced the specific venue; check the registration page for updated location information.
Last year's inaugural event was held at Theatre Horizon in Norristown.
Upcoming:
- Wednesday, Sept. 9 | Reflections on Recovery Resource Fair, 2:30 p.m.; panel discussion, 3–5 p.m. | Norristown (venue TBA) | Register by Sept. 8 at MontgomeryCountyPA.gov/RecoveryEvent
