In the spring of 2027, when Renee Dixon graduates with her certification as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) from Metro State University, she will have a lot to celebrate.
“I was addicted to methamphetamine for 25 years and also in a tough domestic situation,” Dixon recalled.
She got into a sober house in Forest Lake where she met Lisa Retezan, founder and executive director of WayMakers to Recovery, which opened its doors in July 2025. The Forest Lake-based organization provides peer recovery support services, recovery planning, and resource navigation for individuals and families dealing with a substance use disorder.
The organization and its founder, Retezan, also provide hope.
“For the first time in my life I’m doing it on my own,” Dixon said. “Lisa encouraged me to go back to school. Now I’m part of the National Honor Institute and have a 3.7 grade point average.”
Retezan said WayMakers to Recovery is designed to do the heavy lifting of navigating health and mental care for someone in recovery and struggling with low energy, focus, mood, and clarity. She created the organization to fill in the gaps she felt were missing when she began her own recovery journey in 2018 after battling alcohol addiction for years.
Retezan received a grant from the Washington County Opioid Settlement Council in 2025 for $120,000 to pursue her work and open her location in Forest Lake. This year, WayMakers to Recovery received a second grant for $150,000 and has achieved nonprofit status. In its first year, WayMakers to Recovery has helped more than 100 people navigate the complexities of recovery.
“She’s got food, toiletries and pamphlets on housing, on how to get set up with EBT or general assistance and getting your license renewed,” said Jill Wentler, who comes to WayMakers to Recovery weekly, like clockwork. “She even goes to court with people.”
Wentler said WayMakers to Recovery has helped her navigate the lowest points of her life.
“You know we go to our meetings and we say, ‘Hello, I’m Jill. I’m an alcoholic.’ I wish I could just say ‘Hi, I’m Jill and I’m sad, lonely and depressed.’”
Wentler said she met Retezan while at a sober house in 2019. She said battling alcohol addiction has been a bumpy road with relapses along the way. When Wentler moved out of the sober facility and found herself back in the grips of addiction, she called Retezan.
“I told her, I can’t do this anymore. She said, ‘well then, get your butt back here,’” Wentler chuckled.
She has been sober a year and three months and credits WayMakers to Recovery for keeping her on track.
“I’ve been here every Monday since she opened.” Wentler added.
WayMakers to Recovery focuses heavily on the foundation of recovery including navigating insurance and finding housing and employment, which helped Dixon after she stopped using meth and got out of an abusive relationship.
“You’re in a situation where you’re starting over, and you need resources from the community,” Dixon said. “Paperwork is confusing, you're on hold for a half hour, and Lisa has the patience to sit down with us and go through what is important, and no question is ever stupid. It was a relief.”
WayMakers to Recovery focuses on peer-to-peer support by replacing traditional, top-down clinical dynamics with peer-led guidance. The idea is that people who have lived with addiction are uniquely qualified to support others through the process.
“The biggest part is knowing you have someone in your corner, someone rooting for you, which can make all of the difference,” Retezan said. “We don’t get through active addiction with keeping all of our relationships intact. Our circle becomes smaller and smaller, and so having someone there is important.”
WayMakers to Recovery is open four days a week and ready to help pave the way for people struggling with addiction. As Dixon said, it’s never too late to get help.
“I’m 56 years old, and it took me a while, but I’m here.”
