I know what it’s like to feel invisible, to navigate systems that treat survival like a privilege you have to earn. I also know the power of one steady hand, one kind word, one space that says you belong here.

I’ve help my father-in-law through his of sobriety. I’ve supported my sister-in-law as she rebuilt her emotional resilience. I’m raising her daughter — my niece — after she survived abuse. I grew up around family members with traumatic brain injuries, and I saw firsthand how easy it is for people to be failed by institutions that don’t know what to do with them.

I’ve sat with patients in hospitals through panic, pain, and fear. I’ve been the one who stayed when others couldn’t. I’m a CCAR Recovery Coach, trained in Mental Health First Aid and the Maastricht Interview method — but my greatest education came from life. From sitting in the dark with people and helping them find their own light.

Honey Suckle Bush was born from all of this — from pain and perseverance, from community and care. I founded it in memory of my mother, Dawn, who believed in helping people without conditions or judgment. Her love, grit, and compassion still guide everything we do.

At Honey Suckle Bush, we create safe, inclusive spaces where people can access support, share skills, express themselves creatively, and build real relationships. No red tape. No surveillance. No shame.

We’re not a system. We’re a community. We don’t fix people — we walk beside them as they heal.

— Charles Norton
Founder, Honey Suckle Bush