This year marks my first full year as the first ever Executive Director of the Jamie Daniels Foundation. And what a year it’s been!

In early December we expanded to nine colleges and universities with collegiate recovery grant support. The addition of Wayne State University and Olivet College means we now fund programs that provide access to resources and guidance to nearly 170,000 college students in Michigan, that is more than one-third of all college students in the state. Our grant support enables access to counseling, training for staff and students, dedicated recovery space on campus, and safe and healthy housing options.

We’re also proud of the fact that the Jamie Daniels Foundation, with significant contribution from Delta Dental, is a founding donor with a long-term financial commitment to a new, outpatient-based clinic focused solely on adolescents struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. In support of our affiliate The Children’s Foundation, which is the philanthropic funder of this center, University Pediatricians, which is operating AARC, this much needed facility will be located at Children’s Hospital of Michigan offices in Troy, Mich.

Prevention is a key element of our work. And according to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends – often from the home medicine cabinet. By getting rid of prescriptions you no longer need, you help prevent the spread of substance use disorder and the potential of unnecessary overdose deaths. To help with this issue the Jamie Daniels Foundation has been distributing Deterra drug activation disposable pouches at events and to our community partners, encouraging Michiganders to safely clean out their medicine cabinets; this year we’ve distributed more than 1200 pouches with the capacity to destroy 54,000 pills, keeping them out of reach of our children.  

One way to prevent substance abuse is by limiting the number of pills prescribed. Which is why this year the Jamie Daniels Foundation has been advocating for the passage of the bipartisan No PAIN Act which promotes non-opioid based pain management approaches. In December we co-signed a letter with more than 50 other concerned organizations from across the U.S. to Congressional leadership, and leadership and have had discussions with legislators and their staff to include the NOPAIN Act in end-of-year legislation. To learn more, click here

This is just a short list of the work we can accomplish due to the generous contributions of people like you. Without your support, without your passion to help those in need, without your courage to openly discuss substance use disorder, we could not have achieved the progress we’ve made.

But the need continues to grow. Substance use disorder is still a growing concern, and the increasing impact of fentanyl is reaping havoc in our communities. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, an all-time high. And the fastest growing group to die of overdoses were teenagers.

So, I’m asking for your help.

There are several options to put your passion and interest in our efforts to work as I believe everyone has a role to play. Therefore, please consider one or more of the following:

• Follow us on social media, and like and share our posts. By sharing our stories, you help to educate others and reduce the barrier of stigma.

• Share your story of how substance use disorder has impacted your life, or that of a family member or loved one. Your personal experience could serve to inspire others to take action.

• Provide a one-time or multiyear gift to financially support our work.

• Conduct a fundraiser among your family, friends, and co-workers through our JustGiving platform.

Chris Perry
Executive Director
Jamie Daniels Foundation