Finish the Year Creating Miracles

Dear Friends and Family,

This holiday season, I am asking for your help in miraculously transforming lives.  

Kevin grew up in a fairly typical suburban household.  But, when he was 12 he began smoking pot. The pathway to drugs got more serious when Kevin was 14.  He broke a bone and was given pain killers.  At age 15, Kevin started buying Percocet and OxyContin from kids at school.  His parents never knew.  

One night, Kevin’s dealer ran out of OxyContin, so he offered him something else — heroin.  He didn’t explain to Kevin what it was, but just said it was a lot cheaper, $10.  Kevin was swiftly propelled into a downward spiral leading to heroin addiction.

“But once you realize you’re really in trouble,” said Kevin, “it’s too late.”

His parents were heartbroken.  They tried desperately to get him help.  Eventually, Kevin was put on Saboxon.  But that didn’t work out.  Neither did rehab in Florida.  Sadly, Kevin went back to using. He returned to detox and rehab a few more times, but relapse was a continuous cycle. Even worse, Kevin experienced a bad overdose and a life-altering encounter with LSD, which left him with lingering challenges and difficulties.  His parents were distraught, and Kevin felt hopelessly destined to a life of addiction and unmanaged mental health challenges. 

Fortunately, there was hope. Kevin began his metamorphosis when he came to Continuum’s Crisis Recovery Services (CRS) Program.  Continuum has been helping individuals who are challenged with mental illness and substance use to turn their lives around for 52 years. Using a holistic evidence-based approach, the CRS staff helped Kevin to address his mental, physical, emotional, financial, and social needs.

It is essential to look at the whole human being and go deep to the roots of what is needed for healing and recovery.  Kevin’s whole perspective changed and he began to work harder and harder. He says the CRS program brought him along farther than he has ever come on his pathway to recovery.

Today, Kevin has returned to working and supporting himself.  He has a new outlook on life.  He says he eventually wants to help others really understand how dangerous it is to go down the road of drugs.
  
While in Continuum’s CRS program, Kevin constantly reminded himself, “Don’t give up 5 minutes before the miracle.”  The work he did on himself was challenging, but he persevered.  He feels that until coming to Continuum, he quit too many times in his life – right before things should have gotten better.

Kevin’s mother is grateful to Continuum’s Crisis Recovery Program.  She says, “No other program has gotten Kevin as far as he has come and continues to be.”

Kevin’s childhood story of innocently going down the rabbit hole of drugs and unmanaged mental health issues is, unfortunately, so common.  You can help support people like Kevin to recover and rebuild.
  
Won’t you give what you can today?  Please finish 2018 by being part of someone’s miracle.

With much gratitude for your generosity,

President and CEO

For your convenience, you may donate online at: www.continuumct.org/donate or mail your donation with this form to:
Continuum of Care, Inc., 109 Legion Ave, New Haven, CT 06519 - Attn:  Fund Development Office.