How a WithAll Grant Helped Charlotte Stay in Eating Disorder Treatment

Charlotte received a WithAll Recovery Support Program grant at a critical point in her eating disorder recovery. By helping cover groceries, the grant reduced one of her biggest financial stressors and allowed her to remain in intensive treatment for another month.

Her story shows how donor-funded support for everyday essentials can give someone more time and stability to focus on recovery.

Financial Stress Was Putting Treatment at Risk

For Charlotte, the cost of everyday life did not stop when treatment began. She was balancing the demands of an intensive treatment program with part-time work and the ongoing cost of groceries.

“The grant I received from WithAll was an immense help,” Charlotte says. “It alleviated my top financial stressor, groceries, and allowed me to remain fully present in my treatment program.”

Financial barriers are a common obstacle for people seeking eating disorder care. A 2024 study published in Psychiatric Services found that financial barriers were the most frequently reported barrier to eating disorder treatment access among nearly 2,000 treatment seekers in the United States.

That is the gap WithAll’s Recovery Support Program is designed to help fill. The program provides grants for essential living expenses such as groceries, rent, mortgage payments, and lodging while recipients are in intensive treatment.

What a Recovery Support Grant Changed

Before receiving the grant, Charlotte was considering leaving treatment early because of financial strain. The support gave her something that can be difficult to quantify: more time to focus on getting better.

For Charlotte, the grant:

• Helped cover groceries
• Reduced a major source of financial stress
• Allowed her to remain in intensive treatment for another month
• Helped her prepare for the next stage of treatment feeling more stable and grounded

“It allowed me to stay in my program for another month, fostering invaluable growth and learning,” she shares. “Now, as I prepare to transition to a lower level of treatment, I feel more stable and grounded in my recovery than ever before.”

Charlotte’s experience is one example of a much larger impact. WithAll has awarded more than 1,200 Recovery Support grants, and 99% of surveyed recipients said the grant helped their recovery. Other recipients have experienced similar relief. In Megan’s recovery story, she shares how help with groceries and rent allowed her to spend less energy worrying about finances and more time focusing on treatment.

Looking Beyond Treatment

As Charlotte continued moving forward in recovery, she also began looking toward the future. Inspired by her experiences in treatment, she started a CNA certification class and hopes to build a career in healthcare, potentially in pediatric or psychiatric nursing.

Her friends describe her as compassionate and creative. She enjoys languages, creative projects, yoga, and being involved in her community. These parts of Charlotte’s life are important reminders of what recovery support can make possible: the opportunity to keep building a life beyond an eating disorder.

If you’re interested in helping people like Charlotte, you can get involved with WithAll by volunteering, fundraising, sponsoring programs, sharing resources, or helping spread the word about eating disorder recovery and prevention.

What Charlotte Wants Donors to Know

Charlotte’s message to the people who make Recovery Support grants possible is simple and heartfelt:

“Your gift means more than words can express. It is a beacon of hope, a reminder that no one walks alone on the path to recovery. Thank you for your generosity and belief in our journeys.”

Donations to WithAll help provide groceries and housing support to people in intensive eating disorder treatment. Donate today to help more people stay focused on recovery when financial pressure threatens to get in the way.

You can also help create a healthier culture around food and bodies. Explore WithAll’s free 3 Simple Shifts guide and mini-course for practical, research-supported ways to talk with young people about food, bodies, and health.