FAN - in honor of Hunter Boudreau

My son died from Fentanyl, not an overdose.  He was battling an addiction and had we known about Families Against Narcotics at the start of his drug use, my story would have been very different today.  Hunter was 20 years old when he died on New Years Day 2021.  Nothing is worse than two police officers knocking on your door at 9:30 a.m. to tell you your son has passed.  Nothing but guilt lingers on wishing I had considered his mental state and how he felt the only way to take care of the struggles he had in his head could only be taken care of with drugs.  It's a problem many come across in this world and its getting worse by the minute.  People battling addiction think they have no where to turn or that no-one understands what they are going through.  Families Against Narcotics is what they need offering help and guidance to those battling addiction as well as support to families when they don't know how to help their loved ones.  Our grieving process is aided by FAN's Grief Recovery meetings, which help my husband and I deal with our daily suffering of losing our son.

WHO IS Families Against Narcotics (FAN):

They work tirelessly to educate young adults, parents, school personnel, law enforcement, judges, doctors, and other health care professionals about the dangers of misusing prescription drugs, especially painkillers. FAN has grown to more than 20 chapters throughout Michigan and offers dozens of monthly support meetings across the state.

THEY OFFER:

Two of FAN's programs that are near and dear to my heart is Hope not Handcuffs and Sober Living Scholarships:

What Is Hope Not Handcuffs?

Hope Not Handcuffs is an initiative launched by Families Against Narcotics (FAN) in 2017. The program is a collaborative effort between FAN, law enforcement, and community organizations to find viable treatment options for individuals seeking help to reduce their dependence on prescription medication, alcohol, heroin, or other drugs. It is a solution.

How It Works

A person struggling with any substance use disorder can come to any of the participating police agencies or community partners and ask for help. They will be greeted with support, compassion, and respect. If accepted into the program*, the individual will be guided through a brief intake process to ensure proper treatment placement.

If a person is uninsured or has Medicaid, we will work directly with the local Office of Substance Abuse Services for placement. If a person has private insurance, we will provide them with treatment options covered by their plan. Regardless, our team will work to get them into treatment as soon as possible. We have more than 600 volunteer Angels, and one of them will help with paperwork and provide compassionate support until a treatment option is found.

Sober Living Scholarships:

Families Against Narcotics is dedicated to saving lives by empowering individuals and communities to prevent and eradicate addiction. If you are a person in recovery that has left a rehabilitation program and do not have a source of immediate income, there are options to help cover some of the costs associated to moving into a sober living facility through our scholarship funding program. Please complete the application at the link below and our scholarship committee will review your request. Applicants will be notified of the decision whether the funding is granted or not. If you have any additional questions please direct them to scholarships@familiesagainstnarcotics.org.