Dear Friends,

This week’s newsletter is deeply personal.

On July 20th, I celebrated 15 years of continuous recovery from substance use disorder (SUD).

My recovery has brought with it many gifts—education, motherhood, marriage, a rewarding career—but the gift of recovery itself, and all the healing it has brought me, is the foundation of them all.

It is a privilege to be able to speak openly about my recovery, and to share it with you all in a professional capacity. I do not take that privilege for granted, and I see it as my responsibility to bring light to the fact that recovery is possible for those who may not know that to be true.

From the start of my journey, I had everything I needed –

a loving, supportive family;

evidence-based treatment and insurance to pay for it;

transportation to and from treatment and recovery programs;

safe, supportive housing with others in recovery;

and access to education on a college campus with the most established recovery program in the world—the Rutgers Recovery Program.

My story is an outlier—it is very rare for someone to have access to all of these supports, and the vast majority of people with SUDs continue to fall through the cracks of a fragmented system, never finding recovery. It is an honor to serve within an organization that bridges those gaps and builds links to brighter future.

There are many pathways of recovery, and no one pathway is superior to another.

Any positive change is reason to celebrate.

I am grateful to celebrate mine with you today.

If someone you love is struggling, we are here to support them. Call our 24/7 Helpline at 1-855-3275 to connect with a peer recovery specialist and begin your journey of healing.

Red Ribbon Day

Save the date for October 12, 2024! Red Ribbon Day is already in the works and we need your help to reach out $55,000 fundraising goal!

Whether you're walking for the Prevention Awareness Walk, starting a peer-to-peer fundraiser, sponsoring, or spreading the word - we want you to join us in our mission.

Everyone Knows Someone, Help Prevent the Next One.

Program Highlights

Last Friday, our Rise Up Recovery Center hosted a Zero Proof Happy Hour!

We celebrated our freshly painted space with some yummy mocktails, hors d'oeuvres, music, and board games. Stayed tuned for our next one!

To get involved at Rise Up Recovery Center, you can email riseup@preventionlinks.org

Through our LEAD program, we're currently supporting a family facing homelessness, including a soon-to-be mom.

Before her baby arrives, we wanted to make sure she has everything she needs. We quickly sourced an infant car seat and stroller for the baby's safe ride home from the hospital, and we also secured two extra strollers to donate to families in need in Elizabeth.

We are hopeful that we will find permanent housing for this soon-to-be mom in the near future. We are incredibly grateful to our community members for their generous donations!

Our Liberty Family Success Center is hosting a Triple P: Reducing Family Conflict workshop on Tuesday July 30th from 12:00pm-2:00pm.

Facilitated by our Liberty FSC Mental Health Counselor, this group promotes positive parenting and supports the social, emotional and behavioral development of our children.

Happening in-person at 341 Kearny Ave Kearny, NJ 07032 or virtually

Click here to register

For questions, please email liberty@preventionlinks.org

Prevention Links is a private, non-profit organization with a history dating back to 1971. With community being defined as any environment where people live, work, or learn, the goal of Prevention Links is to pull together all available resources to eliminate the deleterious effects of drugs, alcohol, violence, and inadequate educational and health institutions in our communities

Our mission is to foster healthy sustainable communities by empowering people through education, collaboration and by serving as the linkage to resources.



Thank You to Our Sponsors