'I SING BECAUSE I SURVIVED' CREATED A BRAVE SPACE FOR FAITH, MENTAL HEALTH & RECOVERY IN CLEVELAND

Legacies Empowered Hosts Soul-Stirring Concert to Confront Stigma, Offering Free Narcan and Opioid Overdose Reversal Training

CLEVELAND, OH, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On a Friday night filled with raw honesty, radical love, and powerful praise, over 300 people gathered at Aspinwall Church for “I Sing Because I Survived”—a groundbreaking event hosted by Legacies Empowered that dared to merge faith, mental health, and recovery in a space where those conversations are often silenced.

This wasn’t just another concert, it was a courageous and intentional space created for those who believe in God, but still wrestle with their humanity. Guests came for the music, but they left with so much more. Alongside uplifting worship, they received access to opioid overdose reversal training, free Narcan, and vital mental health and recovery resources. It was a night where worship met wellness, and faith was paired with real-world tools for healing.

The evening featured poignant performances from local gospel artists including Humbly Submitted, Christian K. Key, Dave Gulley and The Cleveland Chorale, Harmony, and the Greater Cleveland Choral Chapter’s Youth and Young Adult Department. Interwoven between songs were brave testimonies from survivors of trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges—transforming the mic into a lifeline for those whose stories are often left untold in faith communities.

“We wanted to confront the silence,” said Chardé Hollins, LCSW-S and founder of Legacies Empowered. “Too often, the church is a place where people feel they have to have it all together. This night was a declaration that healing doesn’t stop at the altar and that you can love God and still need help. We didn’t just invite people to sing, we invited them to heal.”

By meeting people where they already are, Legacies Empowered made mental health support feel accessible, approachable, and community-centered. This bold approach reflects the organization’s mission to create culturally-responsive spaces that prioritize real-life solutions, especially for Black and Brown communities disproportionately affected by trauma, addiction, and systemic barriers to care.

From the first chord to the final chorus, the room was filled with more than music—it pulsed with grace, honesty, and the kind of collective hope that only comes when people feel safe enough to be their whole selves. It was a reminder that healing isn’t just personal, it’s communal and it’s possible.
To learn more about how Legacies Empowered is reshaping the conversation around faith, mental health, and recovery, visit legaciesempowered.org.

About Legacies Empowered:

Legacies Empowered is a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization committed to breaking barriers toward success through substance use and mental health education, harm reduction, and youth career training. The organization believes in equipping individuals and communities with the necessary skills and resources to be the heroes of their own lives, empowering them to reclaim their stories, access support, and lead lives as Legacy Builders.

Lanetra King
IndieKater PR
lanetra.king@indiekater.com
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