FAN reaches out to community at Fraser picnic

On Sunday, July 19, 2009, Families Against Narcotics (FAN) sponsored a booth at the Fraser City Picnic to raffle prizes and spread our message: With FAN, no family suffers alone.

At the picnic, FAN reached well over 100 people who stopped by to purchase raffle tickets. At the end of the day, we awarded a Red Lobster gift card, a boy’s 20-inch bike, an 8-gig Apple iPod Touch and a 32-inch flat screen TV. The winners represented a cross-section of our community and the ups and downs we all share.

The Red Lobster gift card winner, a long-time member of FAN, volunteers at every event. She consistently spreads the FAN message and has helped others in times of need.

The winner of the boy’s bike (donated by the 12-year old son of a FAN member) planned to give it to her nephew for his birthday in August. His parents have been struggling in these tough economic times and could not otherwise afford to get him a bike.

The week before the raffle, the winner of the Apple iPod was put on cholesterol and high blood pressure medication by his doctor. His doctor advised him to get out and walk every day and he said, “Now I can listen to my music while I walk.”

A single mom who recently lost everything but finally found an affordable apartment for her and her teenage daughter (just as they were about to become homeless) won the 32-inch flat screen TV. With tears in her eyes, she told us her story and said they had nothing to move except their clothes, but now at least they had a TV.

It’s gratifying to know that in the course of pursuing FAN’s mission--to help those struggling with the effects of addiction on the family--we have reached many others. And if those people ever know someone who shares our struggles, they now know about FAN and can help spread the word about our support and outreach efforts.