NextStep Raleigh

Growth does not always feel the way we imagine it will.

We think of it as something gained. A new possibility. A step forward.

But growth can ask something of us too.

It can mean stepping back. Letting go. Making room for what comes next, even when part of us would rather hold on to what has been.

This week’s Beyond the Horizon reflection, Seeing Differently, sits in that uncomfortable space where pride and sadness can exist at the same time.

What have you learned to see differently?

Read the full reflection at the link in our bio.

We have some exciting news to share.

This September, Demonica Stanley will begin a new chapter as a Recreational Therapist at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, one of the nation's leading rehabilitation hospitals.

While we are certainly going to miss her when she leaves on September 4, we couldn't be prouder of this well-deserved opportunity. For past 3 years, Demonica has been an integral part of the NextStep Raleigh team, bringing compassion, encouragement, and dedication to our members every day.

Her next step is also a reflection of the caliber of professionals who make up our team. To see an organization like Shepherd Center recruit someone from NextStep Raleigh speaks to the talent, passion, and expertise being developed within our community. While it's never easy to say goodbye, there's something incredibly rewarding about watching our team members continue to grow and make an impact on an even larger stage.

Over the next few weeks, you'll still see Demonica at the center doing what she does best: encouraging our members, celebrating progress, and helping people discover what's possible.

Please join us in congratulating Demonica on this exciting opportunity. We can't wait to celebrate her over the coming weeks and look forward to seeing all she'll accomplish in this next chapter. Once part of the NextStep Raleigh family, always part of the NextStep Raleigh family.

This week, we said goodbye to someone who has left an incredible mark on NextStep Raleigh.

Over the past few days, clients, families, alumni, and friends stopped by to thank Sam, share memories, and wish him well as he begins his next chapter. The photos capture just a small glimpse of the relationships he built and the lives he touched along the way.

Sam's impact has never been measured only by the hours he spent at the center. It has been measured in the confidence he helped restore, the
encouragement he offered on difficult days, and the belief he instilled in every person who walked through our doors.

As you scroll through these moments, we invite you to read the words that have guided Sam throughout his career. They reflect the heart he brought to this work every single day.

Thank you, Sam, for your dedication, your compassion, and for making
NextStep Raleigh a better place. We are grateful for everything you've given to this community and can't wait to see the lives you'll continue to change in the years ahead.

You'll always have a place in the NextStep Raleigh family.

Dear NextStep Family,

At NextStep Raleigh, every season brings new beginnings.

Some moments are filled with celebration. Others are bittersweet. But every step forward reminds us why this community is so special. Together, we continue to build a place where recovery extends beyond therapy and where every individual is encouraged to discover what is still possible.

Here's what's happening around the center.

A Fond Farewell to Sam Pasnon

Nearly six years ago, Sam Pasnon walked through our doors as a new trainer.

Since then, he has become an integral part of the NextStep Raleigh family.

He has celebrated breakthroughs that once seemed impossible, challenged clients to discover strength they didn't know they had, delivered thousands of coaching cues (and probably just as many perfectly timed sarcastic comments), and helped shape the culture that makes our center feel like home.

After almost six years, Sam is taking the next step in his career as he begins a new role in Clinical Exercise Physiology.

While we are incredibly excited for him, there is no question that he will be deeply missed by our clients, staff, volunteers, and everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Join Us for Sam's Farewell Tour | Brownies & Bye Bye
📅 Wednesday, August 5
🕛 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 NextStep Raleigh

Stop by for brownies, share a favorite memory, and help us give Sam the send-off he deserves.

Welcome, Ethan Brown

As we say goodbye to one incredible team member, we're excited to welcome another.

Please join us in welcoming Ethan Brown to the NextStep Raleigh family.
Ethan has already begun working alongside our trainers and clients and has quickly embraced the philosophy and community that make NextStep unique. We look forward to watching him grow and are excited for each of you to get to know him in the weeks ahead.

If you see Ethan around the center, be sure to introduce yourself and give him a warm NextStep welcome.

Help Shape the Future of Mental Health Services

Recovery is about more than rebuilding strength.

It is also about rebuilding confidence, resilience, relationships, and emotional well-being.

As we continue looking for ways to better serve our community, we're exploring the possibility of offering mental health counseling services at NextStep Raleigh.

Before taking that next step, we want to hear directly from you.

Whether you are a current client, family member, caregiver, or supporter, your feedback will help us better understand the needs of our community and guide future programming.

Please take a few minutes to complete our Mental Health Services Survey.
Take the survey here: NSR Mental Health Survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwzn8ve0v_3OjmpFuehTuf-NuBpZhylb4xt9iVQArAkWDPTA/viewform?usp=publish-editor)

Every response helps us build services that truly reflect the needs of the people we serve.

Thank you for helping us shape the future of care at NextStep Raleigh.

Beyond the Horizon

Our Beyond the Horizon reflection series continues to grow.

Each reflection explores the quieter moments of recovery. The moments where hope returns, confidence is rebuilt, and extraordinary futures begin to emerge one small step at a time.

If you haven't had a chance to read the series, we invite you to visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Our intention is to post weekly leading up to our November 1 Stand Together Gala: Beyond the Horizon.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged others to read them. Your support has helped these stories reach far beyond our own community.

Beyond the Horizon

Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Boatman Spirits

Planning is well underway for this year's Stand Together Gala, and we couldn't be more excited to share what's ahead.

This year's theme, Beyond the Horizon, celebrates the spirit of discovery that defines recovery. It reminds us that no matter where someone begins their journey, there is always more waiting to be discovered.

Guests will enjoy an unforgettable evening featuring incredible local chefs, handcrafted cocktails, inspiring stories of recovery, exciting live and silent auctions, and opportunities to directly support the life-changing work happening every day at NextStep Raleigh.

Together, we'll celebrate the extraordinary futures being written within our community.

We Need Your Help
The success of our gala depends on the generosity of our community, and there are many ways to become involved.

We're currently seeking:
- Event Sponsors
- Silent Auction donations
- Live Auction experiences
- Vacation homes and travel packages
- Sporting event and concert tickets
- Restaurant and culinary experiences
- Artwork and handcrafted items
- Local businesses interested in partnering with NextStep Raleigh

Whether you own a business, know someone who does, or have an idea for a unique auction item, we'd love to hear from you.

Every sponsorship and every donated item helps provide greater access to specialized therapy, advanced technology, and life-changing rehabilitation for individuals living with paralysis and other neurological conditions.

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor or donating an auction item, please contact Sandy Bridger at [email protected] or 919-673-1359
Together, we are helping people discover what lies beyond the horizon.

Looking Ahead

The second half of the year promises to be an exciting one.

We're continuing to grow our programs, expand opportunities for our clients, strengthen partnerships throughout the community, and explore new ways to support the whole person through recovery.

None of this happens without you.

Whether you train at the center, volunteer your time, attend our events, support our mission financially, or simply share our story with others, you are an essential part of every breakthrough that happens here.

Thank you for believing in possibility.

We hope to see you at Sam's Farewell Tour, hear your voice through our Mental Health Services Survey, and celebrate with you this fall at the Stand Together Gala.

NextStep Raleigh Community Update | Summer 2026 Click here for an update from NextStep Raleigh!

Sam Is Leaving the Nest.

Some announcements are exciting and bittersweet all at once.

After close to 6 years as a Lead Activity-Based Trainer, Sam Pasnon is taking the next step in his career, transitioning into Clinical Exercise Physiology.

We couldn't be prouder.

We're also accepting applications for someone willing to wear black every day, deliver perfectly timed dry one-liners, and somehow convince people to do one more rep when they were certain they couldn't.

If you ask Sam what will be hardest about leaving, his answer isn't the long days, the training sessions, or even explaining why "leg day" is every day.

It's the people.

Over the past six years, our clients have become much more than the people he trained.

They've challenged him, inspired him, made him laugh, and became family. Together, they've shared moments that once felt impossible, including watching Owen take independent steps. Those are the moments Sam will carry with him long after he leaves NextStep.

Behind the sarcasm, the metal playlists, and the perfectly timed dry humor is someone who has cared deeply about every person who has walked through our doors. He has celebrated victories that few people ever see, stood beside clients on their hardest days, and quietly helped people discover they were capable of more than they believed.

That kind of impact doesn't fit on a résumé.

Sam's last day at NextStep Raleigh will be Wednesday, August 5.

We're not letting him slip away without a proper send-off.

Stay tuned for details on Sam's Goodbye Tour, where we'll celebrate five years of dedication, friendship, thousands upon thousands of reps, and the person who has made our community stronger simply by being part of it.

Please join us in congratulating Sam on this exciting new chapter. We are grateful for everything he has given to NextStep Raleigh and can't wait to see where this next adventure takes him.

Once you're part of the NextStep family, you're always part of the NextStep family.

There is something about the first light before sunrise.

Not because the darkness is gone.

Because you know it won't last forever.

Our third Beyond the Horizon reflection, In the Darkest Hour, is about finding hope when life no longer looks the way you imagined and trusting that change often begins long before it can be seen.

Beyond the Horizon, there is always more waiting to be discovered.

Read the full reflection a thttps://www.nextstepfitness.org/new-blog-1