Foundations commit to lifting up voices of people in recovery and those impacted by addiction; support ongoing efforts for overdose response initiatives; and empower community-based solutions.
The Voices Project and Sandgaard Foundation to End the Opioid Crisis today announced a major partnership to continue their not-for-profit work together in addressing America’s long-standing addiction and overdose crisis.
Together, the organizations commit to increasing access of naloxone and overdose response trainings in recovery residences (also known as sober livings) across the United States; support bold media efforts to eliminate stigma for those impacted by substance use disorder; and empower people in recovery with organizing and leadership tools to create meaningful and sustainable impact in their communities.
In December 2020, the CDC reported a surge in the number of U.S. residents who have died of a drug overdose—81,230 in the 12 months ending last May—a record for the most such deaths in a one-year span. Although substance use disorder is recognized as a chronic health condition that affects over 45 million Americans, philanthropic engagement to support those impacted pales in comparison to other chronic healthcare causes such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Through this partnership, the Voices Project and Sandgaard Foundation hope to inspire others leaders in charitable and corporate industries to increase their engagement around this public health crisis which has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the Sandgaard Foundation will be joining the Voices Project and partners in helping to further the reach of the Overdose Response Initiative. The initiative, launched in 2020 with the Voices Project, Direct Relief International, Clinton Foundation, and National Alliance of Recovery Residences provided over 155,000 free naloxone and overdose response kits last year to recovery homes in 5 pilot states. With the Sandgaard Foundation’s partnership, the initiative is targeting to expand capacity to bring the program to even more states in 2021—with the eventual goal of providing overdose response resources to recovery homes nationwide.
The partnership will also focus on increasing opportunities to engage and empower community-based recovery solutions through grassroots mobilization and bold media efforts. The organizations will continue their work on expanding the Mobilize Recovery initiative—a growing network of advocates from all 50 states who regularly convene to learn new skills and share tactics to improve recovery outcomes during the national drug epidemic. In 2020, Mobilize Recovery was joined by several well-known supporters of the national recovery movement including Elton John, Macklemore, former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and President Bill Clinton. The network is a growing annual collaboration with the support of national stakeholders including Foundation for Recovery, Shatterproof, Recovery Advocacy Project, Partnership to End Addiction, the McShin Foundation, and Young People in Recovery. Mobilize Recovery brings together participants from different backgrounds and beliefs, showing that recovery is a community issue—and one that unites diverse advocates.
Through stigma reduction and media, community empowerment, and innovative engagement opportunities, the Voices Project and Sandgaard Foundation are banding together to actively support initiatives that create positive changes to help end the addiction crisis.
For more information on the Sandgaard Foundation visit: sandgaardfoundation.org
For more information on the Voices Project visit: voicesriseup.org
The Voices Project is a grassroots recovery advocacy organization that is changing the way America thinks about recovery, one voice at a time.
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A not-for-profit 501(c)3 public charity, as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Copyright 2023, The Voices Project.