New Organization provides family support and education
Kapolei, HI (March 2, 2010) - Families in the Fire is a locally formed 501c3 non-profit organization that reaches out to families who have loved ones addicted to Methamphetamines. Formed in September 2009, this organization holds monthly support group meetings at Mililani Waena Elementary School and provides speakers to school and community groups. Their mission is to motivate, encourage, teach and offer hope to families who have been affected directly by Meth; as well as other community members who want to take a preventative stance against the drug.
Families in the Fire was founded by Caroline Chapman Pagan, a UH Junior, when she saw firsthand the effect that dealing with a family member addicted to Meth had on her own family. “My family was being torn apart,” said Caroline. “We were just devastated and had so many questions about what to do and even more important, what not to do. My mother started looking for family support groups that were specific to the issues faced with Meth addiction and couldn’t find anything. That was when I decided to form our own group to reach out to and share with other families who were going through what we were.”
Since the organization launched, several Oahu businesses have offered their support and services. “The response to what we are doing has been amazing.” Caroline said. “The list of supporters on our website just keeps growing. In addition to monetary donations that we’ve received, we owe our beautiful website and logo to Midori Designs, custom signs and banners to Hawaii Digital and most recently a 30 second Public Service Announcement, “Meth = Death”, to Crane Media.”
Caroline said she is most excited about the Public Service Announcement and hopes to find a way to see it aired on local television and radio stations as soon as possible. “It was filmed using local actors and it really addresses the heart of why we are here,” she continued. “Meth doesn’t just ruin the lives of the addict, it also ruins the lives of everyone who loves that addict.”
“The statistics are shocking,” Caroline continued. “According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, (NIDA), the number of Meth users in the US in 2007 was 1.3 million, which was double the number of victims of AIDS and breast cancer combined. Multiply that by a conservative figure of 8 family members and loved ones per addict and there are over 10 million people per year whose lives are being destroyed by this drug.“ Hawaii currently ranks #5 in the nation for Meth use for people age 12 and older.
Caroline says she hopes to be instrumental in raising awareness of this issue, not only locally, but on a national level in the same way as AIDS and Breast Cancer awareness campaigns. “We have to open the eyes of the public to the seriousness of this drug before we lose an entire generation. Through family education and awareness, I believe we can remove the ignorance about Meth that has allowed it to overwhelm our nation and replace that with hope. The most valuable weapon we have is hope.”
For more information please call 808-783-6990. www.familiesinthefire.com
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