Grand Rapids-based family foundation the Sebastian Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Alano Club of Kent County in support of the agency’s new opiate addiction support program.
Launching this fall, the Recovery from Opiate Addiction Support Program aims to expand support services for individuals and families struggling witih an opiate addiction as well as improve outreach and coordination with referral partners.
The Alano Club will develop and distribute brochures to referring partners such as public schools, shelters, hospitals, health centers, homeless and addiction service organizations, and law enforcement. These organizations are on the front lines and can identify and refer those who need the individualized support provided at the Alano Club.
“It is crucial that the referring partners are armed with the resources they need to make sure those struggling with opiate addiction and their families can get the help they need,” said Kevin M. O’Neill-Boehm, executive director of the Alano Club of Kent County.
Every day, the Alano Club offers multiple support groups that provide peer-to-peer counseling and assistance for those struggling with opiate addiction and their families. When facing the long road to abstinence, receiving support, encouragement, hope, and mentorship from those who have traveled that same road is critical.
“However, the Club’s services can only help if those who need them are aware of them,” O’Neill-Boehm adds. “So, we’re hopeful that our new support program will reach new audiences and motivate them to take action.”
For six decades, the Alano Club of Kent County has provided space and sanctuary for all those in the Grand Rapids community seeking recovery from addiction and support for lifetime sobriety. By taking the first step and walking through its doors, the Alano Club knows that people can pick up the pieces of their lives, mend their families, decrease the impact of addiction on the community and make it a better place.
