Not why the addiction but why the pain. – Gabor Maté
Effects of the addiction are all-encompassing, as is the addiction. The consequences are classified as bio-psycho-social (Griffiths, 2005). The physical effects could be liver disease or hepatitis; examples of psychological effects are negative, cyclical thinking or self-defeating beliefs. Social effects are isolation and viewing others and themselves as objects. The motivation for use is to escape, numb or avoid, so even benign actions such as food become part of the addictive process when the latter motivation is met. The addictive process both creates and relieves stress, trapping individuals in this cycle of constrained agency. "The attempt to escape from pain, is what creates more pain." – Gabor Maté "Addiction is not about the pleasurable effects of substances, it’s about the user’s inability to connect in healthy ways with other human beings. In other words, addiction is not a substance disorder, it’s a social disorder. We need to be able to trust and to emotionally attach." – Robert Wiess, Psychology Today
Adeara Transforms Lives At Adeara, we are passionate about helping vulnerable women who are struggling with addiction and other mental health concerns. Since 1998, Adeara has worked tirelessly to provide hope, healing, and restoration. During that time, we have impacted more than 600 lives, helping women make lifelong changes in their personal, professional, and spiritual lives.
Adeara is an accredited, long-term residential addiction recovery centre for women and their children. Staffed by a team of caring professionals, we are committed to providing holistic, in-depth programming to treat the whole person: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. On their journey for real life change, women at our centre are empowered and supported in a safe place. You can help us ensure that the most vulnerable women in our community—those suffering from the effects of substance abuse, behavioural addictions, and trauma—have the opportunity to recover in an environment of compassion, dignity, respect, integrity, and accountability. Rebuilding even one woman’s life can create a lasting positive impact that can be felt across our communities. We’re ready to grow forward, together.
I have learned that setting boundaries is okay and healthy for relationships. I’ve learned to challenge my thinking and change from a negative to positive and to know what the reality is. – Abby
I've come to realize that I was never alone because God was with me. Having a greater understanding of addiction provides me a greater advantage of recovery. I can honestly say I have an abundance of hope in my life. – Veronica
Our Journey Our organization began in 1998 as an extension of Edmonton’s Inner City Mission and grew out of an escalating need for a long-term recovery program with women’s programming. Formerly known as the Edmonton Dream Centre, we first operated out of two houses in downtown Edmonton. In 2005, we moved out of the inner city to an apartment complex in a welcoming, residential neighborhood. This new facility has had a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of Adeara’s
programming, giving at-risk women the opportunity to recover in a safe and comfortable space, away from the triggers of an unhealthy environment. The need for addiction recovery services in our community continues to grow, and we’ve set some ambitious goals to help us build for the future. We want to reach more women and children in crisis, expand our services, and collaborate with community partners on the creation of a new, larger facility. growing forward | 4
The Growing Need If you haven’t experienced the pain and suffering of addiction, it can be difficult to understand how it affects lives—not only for the person suffering from the addiction, but also for their family, friends, and community. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to women who suffer from substance abuse—a sense that if someone suffers from the disease of addiction, it is because of poor choices or a moral failure on their part. In reality, addiction is a mental health disorder, and it affects millions of Canadians.
According to the Canadian Community Health Survey (2012), approximately 1.4 million people, or 4.4 per cent of Canadians, met the criteria for a substance use disorder. Adeara is proud to be one of the few addiction recovery centres in Canada that embraces both women and their children, offering compassionate, trauma-informed care to keep families together. Of the women who come into our programs, 25 per cent are Indigenous, 71 per cent have children, and we currently see more than 25 per cent of those children either full or part-time. By allowing children to reside with their mothers, we can ensure healing across generations, changing the trajectory of a child’s life for the better. The women who enter Adeara for addictions treatment and recovery struggle with dependence on a variety of substances.
61%
alcohol addiction
44% of the women come into programming with an addiction to methamphetamines
20% 20%
34% of the women have struggled with cocaine
of the women we help struggle with
haveanan have addictiontoto addiction
prescription prescription drugs drugs
22% of the women have struggled with opioids
Many of the women we work with also suffer from various behavioural addictions, such as eating disorders, gambling, and/or shopping addictions. Our reputation for success has led to a new challenge: the number of women who need to enter our program far exceeds our capacity to accommodate them. Once again we have outgrown our facility. With your help, we can ensure that everyone who needs our resources can receive them.
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Our Inspiration
Debbie’s Story Had it not been for the staff at Adeara, and all the people who come alongside it, I wouldn’t be alive today. My addiction to alcohol caused me to lose my marriage, my dream job, my house, my vehicles, and my health. It started when I was just 11 and my mom caught an unexplainable virus that left her paralyzed overnight. That was the day my family’s life was forever changed. I had so little understanding of what was happening at that age that I tried to totally withdraw from my family. I started running away, sneaking out, not coming home for days, and drinking. I took my anger and hurt out on anyone close to me. My dad would spend night after night looking for me. My heart started to grow so hard that it threw me down a hole of darkness and destruction. My drinking escalated when I worked in a bar throughout my schooling and then began working in a male-dominated industry. Drinking became my new normal. I developed phobias and severe anxiety. My husband begged me to get help since we had a daughter who needed our care and support, but I continued to deny what was happening, especially the fact that I was becoming a full-blown alcoholic. I started blacking out and was unfaithful one night. My husband left that day and never came back. 6 | spotlight
I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and put on a transplant list. The doctors were shocked at the damage done to my body and said that without a new liver, I may die. Even my heart and pancreas were at risk. I will never forget the look of sadness and despair in my dad’s eyes when he heard I might not make it through the night. After I left the hospital, I went to a couple of secular rehab facilities with no success. In fact, I would start drinking only days later. My family threatened to cut me out of their lives, and my friends were few and far between. That’s when I realized that if I relapsed again, I would lose everything in my life that I truly loved, including my little girl. And yet, I still relapsed. I can’t explain why, except that addiction is scary, complicated, and powerful. The way I lived my life impacted those around me immensely—especially my daughter. The guilt and shame can eat you alive. When I came to the Edmonton Dream Centre, now Adeara, my journey of redemption began. It’s hard to grasp that there is life after failure like mine, but that is where and when the Lord met me faithfully to remind me of His grace and forgiveness. That is where I found a whole new meaning and a staircase to my destiny. So I am walking up that staircase, by faith and not sight, because my God makes me brave. growing forward | 6
The Path To Recovery At Adeara, we walk with women like Debbie through every step of their recovery journey. From addiction to sobriety and transitioning back into the community, we’re there for the long-term. We recognize that every person is different and comes to Adeara with a unique set of life experiences, abilities, and challenges. Addiction recovery is not an exact science, and the length of time required for recovery will depend on the individual. Our holistic program is customized for the individual and gives them the time they need to move through the recovery process.
Our long-term program includes: • On-site residency for women and their children • Twelve-step program for addiction recovery and healthy living • Support for understanding addiction and staying sober • Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy • Boundaries program • Anger Management program • Group and individual therapy • Music and art therapy
• Parenting programs for mothers and their children • Life skills development (budgeting and money management, time management, meal preparation, employment readiness, computer skills, and continuing education) • Spiritual development programs including faith-based workshops • Health and wellness education • Volunteering • Recreation and leisure activities
The programs and guidance provided by Adeara are designed to promote long-term sobriety and empower women to find a career or education path. They receive the supports they need to reintegrate into the greater community and have a positive impact on those around them. Data gathered by Adeara shows that after six months in the program, women learn to manage stress without the use of substances four times better than when they first entered the program. We have also seen a strong correlation between investing in a church community and remaining sober. Employment, further education, and independence are also key factors in sustained sobriety.
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Learning to change my thinking was the most difficult part of my recovery process, and perhaps the most fulfilling. – Carly
Our Fundraising Goal Adeara’s residential program offers women the tools they need to take responsibility for their recovery process. But we can’t do this work alone. Because we receive minimal government funding, every contribution from donors like you makes a world of difference in the life of a woman struggling to overcome addiction. People with substance use disorders deserve the same compassion and investment of resources as those who suffer from other chronic health conditions. By supporting their recovery, we contribute to a healthier society overall. Of those who have participated in Adeara’s program, 67 per cent have remained sober up to their six-month check in, and 66 per cent are actively employed at that time.
Adeara’s vision is to move to a new, larger facility where we can provide for up to 50 women and 24 children, empowering us to help three times the number of people we serve today. To make that vision a reality, we’ve set a fundraising goal of $25 million. This will ensure that we meet our operations and expansion goals, as well as the needs of the women and children we serve, both before and after the move to this centre. With your help, we can continue to offer the vital programs and services that at-risk women like Debbie need to rebuild their lives, and we can ensure we will continue to grow along with the demand for addiction recovery services in Alberta.
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How You Can Help Five million people in Canada are facing the mental health challenge of addiction. When we factor in their friends, family, and allies, it means that 80 to 90 per cent of our country’s population is affected by addiction. Whatever you can afford to give, you can be assured that your gift will go toward addiction recovery, trauma-informed care, healthy living programs, life skills development, therapy, and other necessities for the women and children at Adeara. With every woman who finds freedom from addiction, abuse, poverty, and psychological trauma, the strength of our community grows. When her family also finds healing and reconciliation through her recovery process, our cities become exponentially stronger.
Here’s how you can support Adeara:
DONATIONS We currently accept both monthly and one-time donations, using cheque, Visa, MasterCard, debit, ATB Cares or CanadaHelps.
potential partners while raising funds to ensure the sustainability of our work. You can help by sponsoring or purchasing tickets to these inspiring events:
GIFTS IN-KIND In-kind donations are essential to Adeara. You can help the women we serve continue their journey of healing and recovery. We require a number of household items for our residents, including:
Leap of Faith Our supporters go to great heights to support the women of Adeara, and there’s no greater example of this than our annual tandem skydiving event, Leap of Faith. If the adrenaline rush of jumping out of a plane appeals to you, consider joining our corporate and individual partners and take a grand leap (literally) in support of Adeara.
☐ Gift cards for fresh food ☐ Gift cards for gas ☐ Store-bought food, prepared and sealed in a
commercial kitchen
☐ Frozen meat, prepared and sealed from an
approved distributor
☐ Bedding (twin beds only) ☐ New mattresses (twin beds only) ☐ Pillows ☐ Small appliances ☐ Gift cards for art supplies ☐ Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS Adeara holds two major fundraising events per year that engage the community and educate
Evening of Dreams Held every autumn, our annual Evening of Dreams combines a formal dinner, silent auction, and live entertainment in one spectacular gala event. THIRD-PARTY EVENTS Third-party events are a great way to raise funds for Adeara. From bake sales and pop-up markets to soccer tournaments and celebratory events, we can help you organize a successful fundraiser that meets our guidelines. For more information on how you can help, visit adeara.ca/ways-to-give/. growing forward | 9
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES When you sponsor one of Adeara’s programs or events, you help ensure that our clients are set up for success through a range of programs, activities, and services that meet the highest standards of quality and care. PROGRAM
ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP AMOUNT
Art therapy
$5,000
Life skills development
$10,000
Parenting program
$15,000
Keystone volunteer program
$10,000
Spiritual development activities
$5,000 - $10,000
Food
$15,000
One-year stay for one woman & child
$42,000
LEGACY OPPORTUNITIES Our Adeara legacy fundraising initiative will provide sponsors with naming rights to the rooms, gardens, playgrounds, kitchens, and more in our new home. Invest in a lifetime sponsorship of our facilities, and you will make a lasting impact at our centre and in the lives of the women and children we serve. LEGACY OPPORTUNITY
LIFETIME SPONSORSHIP AMOUNT
Naming rights to current building
$500,000
Naming rights to individual apartments
$10,000 per apartment (10 available)
Naming rights to suite kitchens
$5,000 per kitchen (10 available)
Naming rights to suite living rooms
$5,000 per room (10 available)
Naming rights to common dining room
$25,000
Naming rights to common living room
$25,000
Naming rights to main kitchen
$20,000
Grateful for Your Support With the help of generous organizations and individuals like you, we can create meaningful and lasting change in our communities. With your support, we can grow forward together. On behalf of the women and children who come to Adeara to rebuild their lives, thank you for taking the time to learn about what we do and how you can help. Adeara Box 68169 162 Bonnie Doon Centre Edmonton, Alberta T6C 4N6 P: 780-423-5516 F: 780-429-1090 E: office@adeara.ca adeara.ca Follow us @adeararecovery
Terms of Use Privacy Policy Š 2017 Adeara Second edition, 2019
If you are interested in sponsorship or legacy opportunities, contact us at adeara.ca.
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MONIQUE'S STORY - a poem If it weren’t for the Lord, I wouldn’t be here to tell you this story of hatred and fear. From a broken home, I came hurt and confused. “Was I to blame?" I hated being in this fallen world. That’s a lot to take in as a nine-year-old girl. Then in my teens, my mom married again. That’s when I learned to start hating men. He beat her and made her feel she was not a good wife. No wonder I hated the men in my life. That’s when I decided I needed to go. But would she survive? I didn’t know. I got a bit older and began to see that the same thing was happening to me. They used and abused me, but that was the norm. This is why my life looked so torn. I drank my way from the bottom to the top, but that wasn’t so; it’s just what I thought. Then, in my thirties, I met a wonderful man who introduced me to crack… and so it began. This went on for eighteen years until I decided I had shed enough tears and was getting tired of the abuse and fear. I am in recovery now, seeking my true self. My life is no longer sitting on a shelf. I feel more powerful than I’ve ever felt. I am walking with the Lord now - He is my Guide, and I’ve never felt more peaceful, way down inside. This world can’t take Him away from me. As I look for Him, He is seeking me. The most beautiful Man there has ever been Has looked in my eyes and said, “Marry me.” So with no hesitation, I say, “Yes!” With this being said, you can only guess that the rest of my years will be the BEST! Monique, former Adeara resident
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P: 780-423-5516 | F: 780-429-1090 | E: office@adeara.ca Box 68169, 162 Bonnie Doon Centre, Edmonton, Alberta T6C 4N6
Follow us @adeararecovery
adeara.ca