POWER FORWARD UTAH
Right now, in Utah, 10 people die every week from an accidental drug overdose. Yet, just 1 in 10 people suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) seek treatment for it. 80% of heroin addictions start with prescription opioids. According to Utah’s Attorney General, “Opioid deaths in Utah have outpaced deaths caused by firearms, falls, motor vehicle crashes.” No one is immune. This is a silent epidemic that is tearing communities apart and shattering families. MORE MUST BE DONE.
Substance Use Disorder is not a personal failing, it is a DISEASE. One that can, and SHOULD, be treated like any other.
Power Forward Utah is committed to changing outcomes for those struggling with this deadly disease by breaking the stigma of Substance Use Disorder. There is life after SUD and freedom from the cycle of relapse when individuals, families and communities have access to resources that allow people to recover with dignity and live a full life in recovery.
In Loving Memory of Zane James 1998 - 2018
PAST EVENTS:
THE ZANE JAMES CHARITY RIDE
WHEN: SEPTEMBER 8TH 2023 WHERE: EMIGRATION CANYON
Erica is a social worker based in Salt Lake City, UT. She works at First Step House, a nonprofit helping those in recovery from SUD and/OR mental illnesses.
ERICA AND POWER FORWARD UTAH ARE TEAMING UP TO RAISE $10,000 FOR SOBER LIVING AND LIFESTYLE SCHOLARSHIPS!
Erica Lapped Emigration Canyon for a total of ten hours. Each lap Was about 15 miles and 1300 feet of elevation gain.
“I believe in the power of community and advocacy. Negative stigma can be damaging to a person’s recovery. My hope for this ride is to fight that stigma and educate the community on SUD.”
THREE PILLARS, ONE MISSION
EDUCATION - EMPOWERMENT - INNOVATION
Power Forward Utah is striving to end the stigma of addiction by disrupting the life-threatening disease of Substance Use Disorder through Education, Empowerment and Innovation. Here’s how:
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Understanding the causes and promoting (and expanding) the potential solutions for this deadly epidemic are foundational tenets to our work at Power Forward Utah.
Know this: A person can live a fulfilling and happy life in recovery. Education is the key to changing our way of thinking. Communities that develop “End to End” resource support for individuals at every stage of the recovery process are stronger. DetoxCare; Medication Assisted and Residential Treatment; and Sober Living Homes create better outcomes for people, families, and communities.
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Through programs like our Sober Living Scholarship, and our partnerships with other innovative organizations like Fit to Recover, and Power Forward Inc., Power Forward Utah is fighting to close the gaps in recovery by creating safe spaces for people with substance use disorders, providing a vision of what is possible, and empowering those suffering to live with dignity and hope no matter what stage of recovery they are in.
Believe this: We can make a difference. Access to recovery resources and safe spaces like sober housing and lifestyle opportunities, and EMPOWERING people to live with dignity and hope, no matter what stage of recovery they are in, SAVES LIVES.
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Power Forward Utah is a champion for groundbreaking SUD recovery resources and research. Progress is possible. Breakthroughs are on the horizon. We have an obligation to do what we can for those in need.
Imagine this: A world free from shame, where Substance Use Disorder is treated with compassion, innovation, and hope. It is within reach. Together, we can POWER FORWARD to make this dream a reality.
OUR STORY
Zane was a 19-year-old all-American athlete who tragically lost his life in 2018 to the intersection of three critical community issues associated with SUD: sports-related Traumatic Brain Injury, trafficking of counterfeit pills and local law-enforcement’s response to individuals in mental crisis. Zane’s strength and persistence to overcome SUD, contrasted with the heartbreaking experience of encountering gap after gap in the available resources, inspired his family to found POWER FORWARD UTAH.
Modeled on the proven success of Massachusetts based partner, Power Forward Inc, our mission is to help individuals struggling with SUD by connecting them with opportunities to recover with dignity and lead full, productive, and meaningful lives. We support communities with educational programs that break down the long-standing, flawed narratives of who is at risk for SUD, examine the complex causes of the epidemic, and push back on the unnecessarily shameful stigma of the disease.
Through this work, we aim to generate different outcomes for families who face the same crises as we did.
LEGACY
LEGACY
AN EMPOWERING PARTNERSHIP
Power Forward Utah is partnered with Power Forward Inc., an innovative SUD focused non profit established by two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Kevin Stevens, after his own struggle with addiction. The organization, based in Massachusetts, strives to champion what’s possible while living a sober life, and push back the stigma of addiction in a number of innovative and empowering ways.
Power Forward Inc. provides individuals who have achieved sobriety with a 6-week scholarship to pay for a quality sober living home. They have also launched the Dog Ownership Enhancing Recovery (DOER) Program in 2022 to connect service dogs with those in recovery. The young program has already captured the attention of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These programs, along with others in the pipeline, are an inspiration to us, and a sterling example of what can be done to combat this deadly epidemic.
We are incredibly proud of this productive, empowering partnership.
Make a Donation
No one who is suffering from Substance Use Disorder should have to face it ashamed and alone. Waitlists and finances should not be an obstacle to anyone ready to take the steps towards recovery. There are solutions to these problems. Together, we can find them. Power Forward Utah plans to provide $100,000 in sober lifestyle scholarships to Utahn’s who are managing chronic and acute substance use disorders this year. The James family will be seeking matching funds to double our impact.
We envision a community made strong by the fact that every individual has the resources and support needed to recover with dignity and create a productive and fulfilling life in thereafter. By creating stronger people, families, and communities, through education, empowerment, and innovation, we WILL defeat this deadly epidemic. But we need your help…
MAKE A DONATION, AND HELP US POWER FORWARD!