Deaf THINK POSITIVE, Inc

Hello Dear Friends,

Through your contributions and support, Deaf THINK POSITIVE made it through another "COVID" year!

It is still a difficult time for us as we struggle to support each other in our recovery journeys while gathering infrequently. Because of this, we have focused more on helping to support the clients to build their families, offering their children a life in recovery while working mostly virtually. We have worked to create a community where recovery is possible.

Despite COVID, we have carried on in recovery work with the clients/artists at home, talking with videophones. We drop off art supplies for the group to each of their homes. With donations from last year, we were able to provide ingredients for holiday meals, which we dropped off to each family so they could prepare the meals for their families--something they never did while using drugs.

Your support to all of us, the staff and clients, helps us continue with the recovery work--not easy work to keep doing. If clients relapse, we remain steady in our support to them so they have a place to return to, helping to keep their relapse short.

I just called around and spoke with the clients to see how their holidays went. A group of women had donated gift bags for each of them. For most of the clients, this was the only gift they had received. It was moving to see their joy from their gift.

With your gracious contribution, we can continue to provide support to each of our clients throughout 2023. If you itemize, you can write your tax-deductible donation off as we are a 501(c)(3) agency. Your gift supports our commitment and dedication to our clients in their work and journey in recovery.

This year, in addition to mailing us your donation, we are also able to accept donations through Venmo!

Venmo:
https://www.venmo.com/u/DeafTHINKPOSITIVE

Your gift will make a world of difference. As always, every dollar helps.

Thank you so much for your generosity and support.

In gratitude,

Laura Kolb
Executive Director

Join us next Saturday, May 8th, when James Wooden Legs takes the stage at the Indigenous Healing Festival. James is such an inspiration to deaf and hard of hearing people around the globe. Even though his Indian name is “Morning Star Traveler,” James will be hosting his session in the afternoon - rest assured, with all the infinite wisdom and energy he brings to our programming. Note, you can always count on us to make sure that all of our programming is accessible for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Register today. https://www.indigenousways.org/healing-festival

It's that time of year again when we remind ourselves of the joys of giving. Service is a central component of the recovery process at Deaf THINK POSITIVE. Here in our treatment program, rather than discussing aspects of each one's faith, we experience the Divine in our own way as we help others. Doing so helps addicts and all of us to stop focusing on ourselves to feed the addiction. Alternatively, service helps us to see the world and those around us; this truth builds for us the courage to change.

We work to rebuild family together; most of the clients had parents who did not sign and did not talk to them. This causes a deep trauma--a broken bond--that needs healing for sobriety. We currently have three families (2 to 3 generations) who join the group together to heal. We celebrate holidays together, creating new positive memories.

Last year, one donor gave us enough money to provide the sober team with lunch once a week at a foreign restaurant, which we have named Pam's Lunch. This provided us a year of walking into unfamiliar, out of comfort zone territory to learn how to stay calm and walk through it without using drugs. The clients are learning competency in sobriety.

Another donor, The Robinson Fund, provided monies for the entrance fees to the museums we attended through the Deaf RESPECT DayHab program. A local Rotary Club donated art supplies, then came and generously provided Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, and Easter dinners. Other people opened their hearts and "crowd sourced" their gifts of $25 to $100, helping us keep the doors open as one of the handful of treatment centers focused on Deaf recovery in the nation.

Our primary concern is the people who come for treatment without Medicaid. Currently, we have to turn them away. We hope this holiday season that your tax-deductible donation can open the doors of recovery to these people and everyone who wants to build a life free of negativity, trauma, drugs and alcohol.
You can become a part of this.

The positive energy you put toward those in need helps us all feel a wave of kindness.

P.S. Yesterday was our holiday party. We invited guests, several people who are Deaf/blind and several people with other disabilities. I wish you could have seen who stepped up in service, particularly the young individuals, to stay in communication with these guests throughout the party. At the end, these group members left smiling.

Sincerely,

Laura Kolb, MA, LICDC
Executive Director, Deaf THINK POSITIVE