SIMSBURY, CT – By now, it’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health and substance use disorders for millions of Americans over the past year, escalating an already serious issue and sending it spiraling out of control. On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, A Promise to Jordan will host a virtual presentation by Ginger Katz, CEO and Founder of the Courage to Speak Foundation, of Norwalk, CT.
The two-hour session will begin at 6:00 P. M. as Ms. Katz shares the story of her son Ian’s losing battle with drugs that started in 8th grade with tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, through his junior year in college where he then died from a heroin and prescription drug overdose. Ms. Katz spearheaded the development of The Courage to Speak Elementary, Middle, and High School Curricula, along with the Courage to Speak©- Courageous Parenting 101© Program.
The Courage to Speak® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing a Home, School and Community Program™ approach to prevention through substance use prevention programs including presentations, community forums, evidenced-based school curriculum, parenting programs, and support groups for families who lost children to substance abuse. The Foundation delivers social-emotional skill building programs to increase youth’s ability to live healthy lives and empowers parents with skills to communicate effectively with their children about the dangers of drugs.
Sunny’s Story, written by Ginger Katz, is a drug prevention book told from the perspective of Sunny, the family beagle, and it tells of joyful times and sad times and how his young master’s life was needlessly lost to addiction. Sunny’s Story opens a dialogue around drug use and is read by people of all ages, in schools and homes nationwide and is part of the Courage to Speak® Drug Prevention Programs.
Individuals may register for the presentation by going to the A Promise to Jordan website, www.APromisetoJordan.org, or by emailing info@apromisetojordan.org, and can learn about The Courage to Speak Foundation by visiting www.couragetospeak.org.
A Promise to Jordan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named for a young Simsbury man, Jordan Arakelian, and was founded by his mother, Lisa Gray, in the wake of his death from an opioid overdose on June 30, 2018. The mission of A Promise to Jordan is to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma of addiction, assist people in accessing quality care, and give hope that recovery is possible to those struggling with addiction.
