Peer Stories

When peers share their stories, something powerful happens. Stigma begins to loosen. Assumptions are challenged. What was once flattened into stereotype becomes real, layered, and human. Storytelling can also support systems into beneficial changes.

This shift from rules to values gives our team members opportunities to be who they are.

An early “influencer” for me was Henri Nouwen, a priest who spent the last 10 years of his life at L’Arche Daybreak in Ontario, Canada before dying in 1996. Among his many good deeds, he wrote extensively and authored more than 40 books, I own 18 of them. In one of his books, he writes about hospitality and its purpose. “Hospitality , therefore, means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend […]. Hospitality is not to change p

Pier 360 Executive Director, Brad Berry, was hired 20 years ago today. We take a moment to honor his steady, often unseen service and leadership over the years.

Previously, we talked about playing show-and-tell with Pier 360 Staff, and what resulted was very inspiring. Here we will include Cat's contribution. The photography on this page is hers. She is also a creative writer, and we have featured one of her stories based on her life below. WILDFIRE IMAGINATION by Cat I have loved books as long as I can remember. As a child, my Great Grandmother Dolly would read stories of wonderful adventures to me of every kind, especially the on

Twenty years. March 2026 will mark my twentieth year as the Executive Director of Pier 360. It has been a remarkable experience, and it is because of the peers that have worked here and the peers that have actively engaged in their recovery, both past and present. The thing that has stood out for me through the years is just how creative and resourceful our peer community is when it comes to finding a way to get things done. This is why innovation is one of our Core Values .

Courage shows up quietly here through a staff game of Show and Tell. Instructions: Bring something meaningful to share. A creative project. A passion. A practice that grounds you. A small piece of yourself. Share it online. Sometimes courage looks like holding something close to your heart and saying, “This matters to me.” So far, Pier 360 staff members Vincent , Cat , Allison , Jeannette , and Chiara have shared pieces of what sustains them. Allison shared an original song

A tribute to Indigenous voices whose stories and teachings continue to illuminate the path toward balance, connection, and healing.