GAY & SOBER IS GROWING!
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction is among the most pervasive public health issues affecting our society today. People from all walks of life have experienced the devastation that comes from alcohol and drug abuse. In fact, it is hard to imagine anyone not having been touched by this affliction in some way - either through personal experience or through a loved one's experience. There is a community, however, that is more adversely affected than most: the LGBTQ+ community.
The LGBTQ+ community has disproportionately high rates of alcoholism and drug addiction. When LGBTQ+ people experience a problem with alcohol or drug addiction, where can they go? Often times they go to treatment, sometimes they go to 12 step meetings, and other times they seek out different kinds of support. However, not everyone is aware of these options or even wants to pursue these options. That's where our new TALKS program comes in.
TALKS is a new program serving the LGBTQ+ community in recovery. This program aims to fill the void left by treatment services, mutual aid support groups, and other common routes to recovery. TALKS will familiarize participants with the various methods of recovery and engage them with discussions that impact their overall experience. Topics such as Body Image, Homelessness, HIV, Homophobia, Harm Reduction, and even Redefining Fun (among many others) will headline various workshops to address the issues that impact an LGBTQ+ person's quality of life. There will be workshops focused on Transgender experiences and women's experiences, giving special attention to the most vulnerable among us. In summary, we are talking about the things less talked about in the general recovery community.
Some events will provide referral services to local resources. As the program grows and as knowledge of more needs in the community arise, TALKS is poised to be flexible and adaptable to the community it serves - a quality many other recovery-focused services cannot boast. TALKS launched in September of 2019, with it's first panel discussion at the LGBT Community Center in New York City.
If you'd like to get involved with TALKS, please reach out to us at community@gayandsober.org and we will discuss possible opportunities. If you'd like to donate to this exciting new venture, you may make a tax-deductible contribution on this page.
Gay & Sober successfully launched this pilot program during National Recovery Month. The next in-person presentation is in development. We humbly ask for your support with a monetary contribution to this program. By making a contribution to TALKS, you are helping us to fulfill our mission and expand our reach. By making a contribution to TALKS, you are helping LGBTQ+ people achieve sobriety- an opportunity many of our friends didn't get.
You can give online here or by mailing a check (payable to Gay & Sober) to:
Gay & Sober
15 Col. Robert Magaw Place #2F
New York, NY 10033
Thank you for your consideration and your continued support. We owe much of our success to our generous donors. You have helped us change lives for the better.
For more information, please contact:
Community Development
community@gayandsober.org
Note: All positions within Gay & Sober are volunteer - held. Your tax-deductible donation will directly support the operating costs of this program which include space rental, food, workshop supplies, and equipment rental. For ore information, please contact a team member or visit the mission page.
