Monique Stanton, CARE President & CEO
The holidays can be a time of joy and much sorrow for individuals in the community. As a child with a parent that was actively using heroin for most of my middle and high school years, the holidays were a time of joy intermixed with sorrow and fear. While I loved the bustle of the holidays full of baking, decorating, and general fun there was always a space missing for where my mother should have been. There was always a fear that she wouldn’t make it through another cold winter. Gifts for her were warm gloves, coats and hats in attempt to keep her safe from the brutal Michigan winters. Thankfully after a long winter of addiction, my mother has established a very strong recovery and we are able to have a positive and healthy relationship.
My experience being raised in a multi-generational family and with an individual that was actively using heroin continues to fuel my passion for the work at CARE. I have experienced what it is like to be a child in a home where the love, care and attention of a parent is absent. Children need to know they are loved. They need direction. They need someone who smiles when they come into a room; someone who helps them with their homework and lovingly tucks them in at night. They need a parent who is interested in their achievements and who listens to their problems. Every child should feel valued and have the support of loved ones.
That is why we started Project FOCUS Summer Camps over 20 years ago. Children living in high-stress situations are least likely to possess the essential coping and social skills necessary to overcome adversity and succeed. Project FOCUS Camp is a group for children, youth, parents and caregivers who have a family history of substance abuse. Our purpose is to teach skills needed to succeed, stay drug free and stop the cycle of addiction. At camp, chil dren learn to recognize that they did not cause a parent’s addiction and cannot cure it. Camp gives them a safe place to learn and be supported and helps them develop resiliency that enables them to better cope with living in a high stress family. Parents and caregivers are also welcomed to participate in the parent sessions which support those parents/caregivers who recognize the problems that alcohol and other drugs cause in their families. Project FOCUS is FREE to anyone concerned about a family member’s use of alcohol or other drugs.
I’m equally excited about our Teens Talking Truth (T3) Program. Teens participate in a variety of prevention activities that deal with alcohol, tobacco and other drug concerns. Together they support and encourage each other to develop strong leadership and communication skills. The program builds a strong peer to peer support system for young people who may lack positive role models or are not getting the support they need at home. At CARE, we focus on treating people with dignity and respect so they are able to acquire the tools they need to begin and sustain their journey towards recovery. Every day we work closely with children and teens to develop skills that build resiliency against addiction and build strong relationships that will support their journey to recovery.
In the end, no one person can do it alone. It takes a team. And even when you’re surrounded by the best team in the world, it still takes a village to transform a life. I am asking you to give to CARE of Southeastern Michigan today so we are able to continue transforming the lives of over 25,000 people each year. Your gift allows us to continue providing life changing support to individuals and families struggling with mental illness and the disease of addiction.