Dear Subscriber First Name,

I think we can all agree that last year was difficult, in so many ways. The isolation and shutdown of communities have directly impacted virtually everyone, but some vulnerable groups of society more than others. Since the COVID-19 related social distancing began, the frequency of alcohol and substance use has dramatically increased. In fact, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19.

We are very proud that since our inception in 2016, we have provided more than $500,000 in support to a variety of community-based organizations - amazing people and organizations doing amazing things. However, our work is far from done. In 2020 we saw the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, a statistic largely missed by the press due to the dominance of Covid-19 coverage.

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death of Americans under age 50. Although many more Americans have died from COVID-19 than drug overdoses, those who died from overdose were significantly younger. While the nation and the world address the future spread of COVID-19 with effective vaccines, there is no vaccine for substance use disorders. The overdose epidemic existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue after.

This is why we work with the best community-based organizations in the field to provide support and build alliances for effective solutions within the prevention, education, treatment and research related to substance abuse. Please take a moment to read below some updates from a few of the many amazing organizations and initiatives we support.

We hope you will consider making a donation to help support our work. Big or small, all donations make a difference. With your help, we will continue our work to support youth and families in this great time of need.

We are all in this together, and together we are stronger. ❤️

Warmly,

Michaela Pratt
Director of Development
Second Genesis Foundation

A Visit to Lily’s Place

On May 4th, Second Genesis Foundation made a visit to our partners at Lily’s Place. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, Lily’s Place strives to serve the tiniest of those affected by the opioid epidemic. The organization opened its doors in October 2014 as the first Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Center in the United States. Currently, there is approximately one baby diagnosed with NAS every 19 minutes in the United States, or nearly 80 newborns diagnosed every day.

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At Lily's Place, they strive to make the infants as comfortable as possible while going through the weaning process. Their facility is designed in a very specific manner to achieve this goal.

A Visit to Brooke’s House

On April 30th, Second Genesis Foundation made a visit to our partners at Brooke’s House, an organization that provides a community-based, safe, stable, and emotionally supportive living environment for adult women in the early stages of substance abuse recovery. Founder, Kevin Simmers took us on a special tour of their social enterprise business and showed off the new junk removal truck, which Second Genesis Foundation made possible through a grant.

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Michaela Pratt, Director of Development for Second Genesis Foundation, Kevin Simmers, Founder of Brooke’s House, and Ross Little, Chairman of Second Genesis Foundation.

Private Screening for Classrooms

As part of our mission to educate and assist the DMV community in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, we have partnered with The Biscuit Factory in the production of Written-Off, an independent feature documentary film project.

How does a smart, loving, promising kid move from acting in the high school play to putting a needle in his arm? WRITTEN OFF reveals that journey, in Matt’s own words. Behind the addiction, there is a person – all at once lovable and despicable, funny and pathetic, young and old, destructive and aware of his failings.

WRITTEN OFF challenges the stigma of opiate addiction by unraveling the intricate web of a single addiction story and is now available as an educational video to be shared with students across the United States. Watch the trailer.

To request a screening for your school, please contact us directly.

An Evening to Thank our Partners

On June 30th, H.E. Meshal Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States of America, and Mrs. Eva Al-Thani will host an intimate dinner at their personal residence in support of the Second Genesis Foundation’s work with substance use prevention, education, treatment, and research. This private dinner will gather our inner circle of supporters, including business leaders, philanthropists, and government officials. This exclusive dinner is by invitation only. Please contact us for more information here.

H.E. Meshal Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States of America.

Give A Little. Make A Big Difference.

Big or small, all donations make a difference. With your help, we will continue our work to support youth and families in this great time of need.

100% of all donations go directly to support the programs of our partners.

Second Genesis Foundation is a tax-exempt organization under the IRS code section 501(c) 3. Your donation is fully tax-deductible within the extent of the applicable laws.
Federal Tax ID# 30-0914973

info@secondgenesis.org