Stories

Melissa lost her stepson, Nicholas, to an opioid overdose in 2018. She's become a fierce advocate for families impacted by addiction.

Katie Baker turned to meth after losing her Medicaid coverage and access to Adderall, her ADHD medication. After a five-year cycle of meth use and sobriety attempts, she had to learn how to cope with life without drugs.

I found out today I lost a member and a friend. His name was John.

Greg Sands is well known throughout the Sioux Falls, SD community for his philanthropy, successful business – Sands Wall Systems – and commitment to helping others find recovery from addiction.

"You have to give 110%. That goes for anything, you can’t go about anything halfway, but especially in recovery. The first time I got sober I probably only gave 80%, and it wasn’t enough."

Eventually, the daily partying and alcohol use took its toll.

Aubrey’s challenges with alcohol started in high school, when she started looking for acceptance in a new group of friends.

Even from his first call to Face It TOGETHER, John could tell the person on the other end of the phone understood his struggle.

Now in his “second life” of sobriety, Brad has seen improvements in all areas of his life.

Like many parents of children with addiction, Janelle’s mantra used to be “I can fix it.”

Lauren reflected on her journey through grief after the loss of her father in 2019. Since his passing, she has found herself advocating for him in new ways.

My name is Lauren Olson and I am Face It TOGETHER’s Evaluation Intern! I currently study clinical and counseling psychology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO and have an innate passion for helping others.