Moving Forward: September 2019 Letter from the Board President

I am frequently reminded in both my personal and professional life, the importance of celebrating even the little successes of hard work.  I am a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service and we are encouraged to maintain a journal of all of our accomplishments, big or small, in order to present ourselves for the next promotion opportunity.  Marathons are run one step at a time and success comes from many hours of hard work and training. Recovery occurs in the same way. “One day at a time” is a mantra shared by many in recovery.  Enthusiastic sobriety programs often teach “progress not perfection” and the importance of an “attitude of gratitude”.  With all these in mind, I would like to share some of our initial successes as we move forward in our goal of impacting many parents and addicts in their journey toward recovery.

Earlier this Summer, the Fingerprints Foundation board had the opportunity to share its vision with two parent groups and we received a heartwarming outpouring of support for our mission. Many of those parents indicated interest in joining hands with the foundation to offer their time and talents as volunteers for the cause. One of our first opportunities to use the generous offers of volunteer support will come later this year, as we hold our first fundraising event (details to follow!)

 In the short time since our inception, we’ve also been given the opportunity to begin to see the fruits of our labors. In our first two months of operation, Fingerprints Foundation was able to offer tuition assistance for treatment in enthusiastic sobriety programs to three of the six applicants and their families. And, in an effort to fulfill our outreach and parental support vision, we also granted the Pathway Program the funds needed to obtain video teleconference (VTC) equipment, which has already allowed 13 parents and counting to participate in parent support groups.  These parents have called in to a Phoenix support group from locations including Flagstaff, AZ, Texas and California.  The VTC equipment has also allowed local parents to attend while out of town.  We’re told that parents in Illinois, North Carolina, and Tucson may be joining in the coming weeks.

As a board, we celebrate our current victories and continue to move forward with the planning of fundraising and educational opportunities.  The feeling that comes from knowing you have made a positive impact, in even one life, is beyond words. The work, however is never done. We are in need of many volunteers and financial support.  One way you can begin is by signing up for our newsletter or volunteer team on our website.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey A. Kuzmich