More than 575,000 adults and over 71,000 adolescents need but do not receive treatment for an addiction in our state every year. In September of 2008, RecoveryNC was initiated as a response to this shocking statistic. The initiative is a vehicle through which persons in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, along with their families, friends, and advocates, can speak out for access to the services they need to maintain long-term stable recovery. Additionally, RecoveryNC diminishes the stigma attached to addiction by demonstrating the value recovering people bring to their communities, provides an advocacy platform for those interested in influencing health policy, and creates a virtual community for recovering people, their families, friends and supporters, where hope and help can be shared.

RecoveryNC will hold its first annual Festival on August 21, at the Greensboro Cultural Center and Festival Park in Downtown Greensboro. RecoveryNC invites those recovering or struggling with a drug and/or alcohol problem, and their friends and family to participate in this encouraging, inspirational and wonderful event. The free event will feature live music, information on getting help in recovering from drugs and/or alcohol and delicious food and drink for sale!

We have all been exposed to the negative effects of addiction in the media, on the streets of our home towns and through personal experience. However, it is much more difficult to see the success stories. Shame and stigma have had an extremely detrimental effect on people with addiction as well as those who have achieved stable long-term recovery. At RecoveryNC’s Festival 2010, the public will see those success stories that prove recovery is extremely realistic and can happen for anyone.

“This is precisely why we are holding Festival 2010. We want persons in recovery to be proud to celebrate their accomplishments. We want the local community to see the faces of recovery demonstrating their talents as musicians, vocalists, artisans, etc., in an open and accepting atmosphere of success over a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of families in our state,” said Donna Cotter, RecoveryNC Director.

Donations will be accepted at RecoveryNC Festival 2010. The public is encouraged to help those in need because every dollar dedicated to the treatment of persons with addictions is returned sevenfold to communities in the form of a reduction in criminal activity, highway injuries and death, healthcare and social welfare costs, etc.