23 May Families Struggling with Addiction Find Hope Through Clothing Donation 

Organization: Reality Check Now
Donation: Clothing Apparel
Website: http://realitychecknow.org 

As Told to Good360 by Reality Check Now 

Reality Check Now, located in Jaffrey, NJ, hopes to reduce alcohol/drug use, addiction, and overdoses through affordable addiction services. We receive access to resources to improve overall health and to help addiction survivors. We provide prevention plan development to school districts, as well as community-based recovery services, housing and holistic education.  We practice a “pay it forward” model and believe we are only truly successful because we invest in ourselves while we help others. 

Thanks to these multiple donations of clothing (coats and pants) we were able to impact the lives of 11 families and help them with their hardships during the winter months. These items helped them save money for other necessities, instead of having to buy new winter coats and purchasing “nice” new clothing for jobs and school. With limited opportunities for employment, and fewer opportunities to make more than minimum wage, any donation helps these families move forward.  

One of the families that works with our facility has two grown children still living at home who are in the grip of addiction. These grown children have children of their own but are unable to care for them, so the grandparents raise the grandchildren while working 2 or 3 jobs. This family has not been able to repair their home for winter weather, nor has been able to visit a dentist due to lack of insurance and having no money for co-pays.  The donations we distributed to this family were so appreciated, especially by the grandmother who often will walk without the proper clothing for several miles when her car doesn’t run in the colder weather. Becky, the grandmother, gave me a hug, saying, “Thank you, Mary, you have no idea what your help means to our family”. Thank you Good360 for helping us give back to those struggling in our communities, and for enabling us to help families who truly need it!