YCF launches fund to assist these battling dependancy

For generations, Morgantown’s Whitmore Park has served as a inexperienced respite for residents in search of a break from the concrete and vehicles of a bustling school city.

On a damp August afternoon again in 2019, it was found that the park was additionally getting used for an additional technique of escape.

“This actually breaks my coronary heart,” a volunteer mentioned, as she regarded the strolling bridge that’s the centerpiece of the picturesque spot, based 100 years in the past.

Beneath that bridge sat the detritus of dependancy: Layers after layer of used syringes, overtaking the dirty clothes and empty bottles strewn about.

The volunteer on that specific afternoon was a part of a contingent serving to to scrub up the park.

Serving to these presently mired in dependancy is the main target of a brand new effort from Your Group Basis of North Central West Virginia Inc., the philanthropic group that serves individuals throughout Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison and Taylor counties.

It’s all a part of the inspiration’s $1 Million Match Marketing campaign, which has been sparked in latest month by huge assist from a donor who needs to stay nameless, mentioned Patty Showers Ryan, the inspiration’s president.

“That is such a important want,” Ryan mentioned.

That’s as a result of West Virginia remains to be on the epicenter of the nation’s opioid and fentanyl disaster.

All monies coming into the inspiration’s IMPACT fund for that work, and different work, are being matched by the nameless donor, she mentioned.

“We wish to thank that donor and all of our donors. We couldn’t do the issues we do with out them.”

Add volunteers in there too, the president mentioned.

Volunteers with boots on the bottom within the struggle to stop drug dependancy within the Mountain State and to get assist for these nonetheless battling their demons.

“We’re not consultants in our workplace,” she mentioned, “however we all know loads of people who find themselves.”

The assistance coming from the inspiration will probably be within the type of grants to frontline clinics, plus different outreach teams and people enlisted within the struggle.

Like ripples in a stream from a skipped stone, the inspiration’s marketing campaign on this effort started as particular person overtures melding into one unified mission – with the $900,000 IMPACT objective as instance.

Whereas that objective has been met, Ryan mentioned, $73,125 remains to be wanted to clear the $100,000 benchmark for the inspiration’s Dependancy Prevention Initiative Fund.

As with the match marketing campaign as an entire, incoming {dollars} for that fund will probably be matched 100%, Showers mentioned.

The match marketing campaign within the meantime is notching nearer and nearer to its $1 million common objective, she mentioned, with a tally of $926,855 notched total.

Naming alternatives within the dependancy prevention fund can be found with a present of $10,000 or extra, the president mentioned.

Name 304-296-3433 or go to www.ycfwv.org to study extra.

Each greenback donated, mentioned Martin Howe, the inspiration’s board chair, represents an individual and a household attempting to outlive below the shadows of drug and alcohol dependancy.

“Every of us has been impacted in a roundabout way by dependancy,” he mentioned.

“We’re grateful for our donors who acknowledge the significance of investing in group methods to stop dependancy.”