SAFE Coalition is currently running Someone’s Reason, a fundraising campaign working to erase the stigma of mental health and substance use disorders.
From now until December 31, anyone can make a donation to SAFE, with the added option to share a story about a person or moment that changed their view on addiction or mental illness.
Donations can be made at https://www.safecoalitionma.org/someones-reason or by following the QR code link. Proceeds go to support clinical staff working with teens and adults, programs serving families, and collaborative care services connecting people with vital resources.
Since the campaign launched in October, community members have shared dozens of stories. Some are moments of personal discovery, while others come from a journey alongside a loved one.
Cindy Kucich shared how present judgment can feel when we lose someone from addiction, and how her son’s words changed the way she faced it. “There’s a look people give you when someone dies unexpectedly and too young,” Cindy says. “I remember that look at my brother’s funeral. I turned around to see everyone and I was overwhelmed with the people looking back at me. I turned to my son and he said ‘Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve got you.’”
Stigma has been shown to make recovery difficult by creating psychological, social, and systemic barriers to seeking vital support.
Labels like “junkie” and “crazy person” can make people feel trapped in an identity they can’t escape. And clinicians who read about a person described as a “substance abuser” are statistically more likely to judge that person as deserving blame and punishment. Negative community beliefs can even make it difficult for friends and family members to reach out for help for themselves.
“At SAFE, we have the privilege of listening to our client’s stories every day,” says CEO and co-founder Jennifer Levine. “And people tend to remember the moment when their limiting beliefs changed. Sharing those kinds of stories with the community has the power to generate more compassion, connection, and collective purpose.”
Throughout the campaign, SAFE is sharing #SomeonesReason stories, with permission, that break down misconceptions around these struggles.
To read stories, donate, or learn more, sign up for SAFE’s newsletter at safecoalitionma.org or follow SAFE on facebook.com/safecoalitionma and instagram.com/safecoalition.
ABOUT SAFE
SAFE Coalition serves more than 60 communities in Massachusetts with substance use and mental health services that close current gaps in care. With programs for teens, support groups for families impacted by substance use, recovery groups, harm reduction education, resources for families in need like a community diaper bank, housing support, and more, SAFE’s services are judgment-free and cost-free to all.SAFE began in 2015 following a community discussion on the increasing impact of opioid addiction in southeastern Massachusetts. Today, with locations in Franklin and Springfield and mobile services across the state, SAFE works with first responders, local and state politicians, municipalities, schools, other nonprofits, and concerned citizens to offer substance use and mental health prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and recovery support, wherever it is needed most.To learn more about SAFE Coalition, contact us at (508) 488-8105 or info@safecoalitionma.org
