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CHIPPEWA COUNTY

Families Against Narcotics of Chippewa County was founded in response to a growing misuse of prescription drugs in our community and surrounding area.  In 2009 a Prescription Drug Task Force was started when the Chippewa County Health Department and the prosecuting attorney's office began to track the trend of prescription drug use/misuse. With the help of a Prevention Grant, FAN of Fraser came to our area in April 2013 and gave several presentations. This sparked a lot of interest with several concerned citizens.

 

Just days after the visit from FAN Fraser, a group began to organize community gatherings and share their experiences with drug addiction and the effects that it has had on their families and friends. There were so many people with so many questions. The passion at the weekly meetings was very real, and from that emotion, FAN of Chippewa County was born in June of 2013.

 

Our membership includes parents and families affected by abuse and addiction, grandparents struggling to understand, concerned citizens, law enforcement, school administrators, health professionals, and recovering addicts.

Our goal is to educate those around us about this drug epidemic, bringing awareness to the forefront in hopes that even more people affected by this insidious problem will feel comfortable joining with us to facilitate a major change in our community.

MONTHLY MEETING

2nd Tuesday of the Month
7:00pm


First Church of Christ Library

300 W. Spruce St.

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

All are welcome to attend.
(Children 10 and older please.)
 
CONTACT US:

906-440-6140
chippewa@familiesagainstnarcotics.org

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EXECUTIVE BOARD

Lynn Farnquist
President/Secretary  Term Exp. 12/24

I am a retired high school teacher and recovering co-dependent.  I have lived in Chippewa County since 1973  My children are grown, but I have three grandchildren in Sault Ste. Marie yet and I am concerned about things I am hearing from them with regard to what they are seeing among their friends at the high school and middle school.  My hope is that our FAN organization will connect with these young people before they destroy their lives needlessly.

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Mick Leppien
Vice President  Term Exp. 12/23

I moved up to Sault Ste. Marie in 1986 to attend Lake Superior State University.  After graduating with a BA in the Criminal Justice program in an Associates degree in Corrections in 1990 I was hired on with the City of Sault Ste Marie Police Dept. where I spent the next 25 years, the last 15 year of it as a Sergeant.  I have raised 4 kids in our community and this is now my home.  Upon retirement I took a part time job with the 50th Circuit Drug court, first as the compliance officer and then was hired as the Coordinator in September of 2017.  During my time with the police department and the drug court, I have seen the effects of drugs and alcohol on the citizens and families in this community and I see the need for a closer relationship between our recovery community and local law enforcement. I hope to strengthen that relationship. I can also see a need for more services for our addicts/alcoholics that this community is lacking, and I hope to assist in making changes to this. Our local FAN chapter has a very strong core group of people working hard for our citizens in recovery and their families and I’m honored to be part of this group.

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Kareen Brown
Treasurer  Term Exp. 12/23

I am a wife, mother of three sons, and grandmother to three granddaughters and two grandsons. I worked for 28 years in retail and gave up my job to care for two of our grandsons who lost their parents; their mother died of cancer and our oldest son died of a drug overdose. My son became a drug addict and the drugs took his life. Our lives will be changed forever. While my son was on earth,  I had the title of enabler from my husband and two sons. I learned a lot from my son, so with his death I decided that I wanted to get involved in trying to help other families that are going through the nightmare of drug addiction. It is a sad, sad time for the one addicted, for parents, for siblings, and for friends.

Shirley Farnquist
Co-Treasurer  Term Exp. 12/23

I am a retired human resources manager and currently business manager for a local North American hockey league.  I have been a resident of Chippewa County my entire life and am the mother of two sons, and two grandchildren; another grandchild is recently deceased.  I became interested in FAN after watching my son lose his job (and indeed himself) due to addiction, and after losing my granddaughter to a drug overdose.  Both were high functioning young adults gainfully employed in the community and respected by their co-workers, friends and families.   Addiction has torn my family apart.  If we keep even one grandparent, parent, or child from experiencing the terror, shame, humiliation, grief, and disbelief associated with such tragic circumstances, I truly believe that all of our hard work for FAN will not be in vain.

BOARD MEMBERS

Judge Jocelyn Fabry
Director  Term Exp. 12/23

Jocelyn Fabry serves as the Chief Judge for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Among her other duties as Chief Judge, Judge Fabry presides over the Gwaiak Miicon healing-to-wellness court as well as the family healing-to-wellness court.  Judge Fabry serves on various committees and advisory boards, including the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals (secretary) and Michigan Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum (co-chair), and facilitated her Tribe’s efforts to establish a Tribal Action Plan--a long-term strategic plan to combat addiction. As a judge and member of community, she has witnessed the devastating effects of addiction on the lives of not just the people struggling with addiction, but also those around them.  As a member of FAN, she hopes to raise the community’s awareness and erase the stigma of addiction, and help spread the message that recovery is possible.

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Mary Michaels
Director Term Exp. 12/23

Mary Michaels was a junior in high school when her family moved to Sault Ste. Marie in the summer of 1976. She went to college at Northern Michigan University and then transferred to Lake Superior State University to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Michaels worked at Tendercare nursing home, which was then called “Provincial House,” while completing her nursing degree. Upon graduation, she worked at War Memorial Hospital until she was recruited to work at the Chippewa County Health Department as a home health and hospice nurse. After a 26-year career, Michaels retired from the health department and became a school nurse for the Sault Area Public Schools.

 

Married shortly out of high school, Michaels was unaware that her first husband was both an alcoholic and drug abuser. They had two daughters and encountered the emotional pain addiction inflicted on the entire family. Michaels left that marriage, which was a difficult choice since she was Catholic and the first and only one in her family to ever divorce. Her ex-husband married and divorced again, and ended up passing away in a VA center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 60 years of age. He was on suboxone at the time. Michaels has admired FAN from the first time she heard about the organization. Before she became a board member, FAN helped Michaels with elementary health fairs at the schools, educating young people about substance abuse.

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Jenna Sanderson
Director Term Exp. 12/23

Bio coming soon.

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Heidi Kinnear
Director Term Exp. 12/23

In October of 2020, Heidi's daughter was arrested--but the issues started long before that. Also in 2020, Jenna helped an acquaintance get into treatment for alcoholism. She found it difficult to get her help in Michigan, but was also unaware of FAN and all the great programs that they offered. Through FAN Forums, speaking with others who have similar circumstances, attending Nar-Anon and CODA meetings online, plus reading and listening to books and podcasts, Heidi has learned a lot and has a great desire to help. She had wanted to volunteer for some time, but had not felt the strong connection like she does to this cause. Heidi wants to be part of spreading awareness, providing support for our community, and working to alleviate the heartbreaking epidemic that's destroying the lives of our young--and old--people and their families.

ADVISORY BOARD

Shane Albrecht
Concerned Citizen

Ailene Bitnar
Retired Michigan State Police Trooper

 

Anna Bonacci-Slater

 

Linda Christie
Retired MDOC and Person in Recovery

Joan Claxton
Concerned Citizen, Parent of Son in Recovery

Matthew Cupp
Person in Recovery

Jay Gage
Sault Ste. Marie City Commissioner

Stephanie Gordon
Field Supervisor
Michigan Department of Corrections

Dr. Timothy Hall
Superintendent
Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools 

 

Molly Davie
Concerned Parent

Brian Davie
Concerned Parent
 

Ciara Krantz
Former Executive Board Member
Concerned Parent

David Jahn
Chief Executive Officer
War Memorial Hospital

Christine Lundquist
Chippewa County Health Department

Denise Lyons
Concerned Citizen

Sherrie Lucas
Mother of Person in Recovery


LouAnn Miller
Service Coordinator KMG Prestige  

 

Dennis J. McShane
Chippewa County Prosecuting Attorney

Jeannie O'Brien
Concerned Citizen

Bob Pennington
Person in Recovery

 

Daniel J. Reattoir

EUP Intermediate School District

Education Director, Superintendent
 

Karen Senkus
Health Officer
Chippewa County Health Department

Joy Wondergem

Concerned Citizen

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