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Recovery in the News: Rally for Recovery! 2007
Celebrating Sobriety
KOLD News
September 17, 2007
Because it's National Drug and Alcohol Recovery Month, people gathered here at the San Xavier Recreation Center to celebrate sobriety and raise awareness for an ongoing problem.
"It's a very serious problem on the reservation, not only here, but all over Indian country, very serious"
James Funmaker's talking about drug and alcohol addiction. A problem he says is generational for Native Americans.
"My mother, my aunts my uncles, most of my family members. My mother and aunts passed away from alcohol abuse."
Funmaker, himself, started abusing drugs and alcohol. But then realized in 1984 he wanted to change the trend.
"I decided I wanted something better for my children, make a better life for my children. I didn't want them to see me using."
Instead, for the last 20 years he's been helping others break away from addiction at People Wellness House in the San Xavier District.
People gathered for the first annual Red Road Wellbriety Gathering to celebrate the community taking action against addiction.
"It's important for us to recognize that, although we do have these problems, there are people who can celebrate recovery," Eddie Grijalva with Compass Health Care said.
One person celebrating her recovery is Melissa Moreno.
"I started doing drugs when I was 18 years old and it led to doing alcohol for the past two years."
She is now clean and sober.
"It's really good because I get to be sober and enjoy life."
Grijalva explained, "When one person gets healed, the family gets to heal and the community begins to heal and that's what we're working for."
But they know that work is far from done.
"The job is never done. It's always there, it's always there, alcohol. It has no boundaries," Funmaker said.
If you would like more information just click this link to Compass Health Care.
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