The holidays are a time of year when families get together to celebrate, and when beautiful lights and decorations go up, desserts and big meals are made, and money is well spent on thoughtful gifts. Many people feel festive and cheerful. But for other people, the holidays can often feel sad and lonely. Whether you’re in active addiction, loving someone who is struggling with addiction, or missing a loved one who has passed, the holidays don’t always feel merry and bright.

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Rage Against Addiction has created Rage Club specifically for children who have been directly affected by the turmoil and worry of addiction. Our intimate group of children come together a few times a year to participate in counselor-led activities in hopes of feeling a sense of connection to others going through the same things, and to find encouraging ways to heal. Some of the children have lost one or both parents to addiction; some have parents who are currently incarcerated; and some have parents who are in treatment centers. Most are being cared for by extended family members. To bring some positivity back into their lives, we hosted our third annual Rage Club Holiday party on Saturday, December 11th, at Buontempo Brothers in Bel Air, MD. Families came together to eat pizza, play games, and create Christmas crafts while being supported by Justin Macri and Sydney Shupe who are Young Adult Peer Recovery Support Specialists from Ashley Treatment Center. Katie Badders, LCSW-C of Living Forward Counseling and Addiction Connections Resource, spent some time with each child throughout the afternoon, talking about and listening to their experiences. It was a powerful and hopeful afternoon, and is just one example of how we rely on and appreciate the support of other like-minded individuals and organizations to help children in our communities.

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On Thursday, December 9th, the Rage Team spent the evening shopping for our Project Family Christmas Kids program, which serves the families in our two sober living houses, and is extended to other local recovery houses as well as to those families nominated within Harford County, Maryland and other surrounding areas. Similar to Rage Club, children can qualify in one or more of the following ways:

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• One or both parents are currently incarcerated

• One or both parents are currently receiving or have recently received substance abuse related treatment in a rehabilitation facility or sober living house

• One or both parents have passed away (within the last 18 months) from substance abuse

• The child is / children are living with a caregiver due to substance abuse related challenges

We know the holidays can be quite difficult for families dealing with the devastation of addiction, whether it’s due to financial strains or other problems, so we provide something each child needs, wants, wears, and reads, with the hope that we can brighten up this time a year for the most vulnerable in our community. We feel very lucky and blessed that we can continue these and other programs each year, and we are able to do so because of the generosity we receive in local and nationwide donations. It’s no secret that children of those struggling with addiction and those who have lost their parent(s) need to feel valued, heard, and supported, and that is why we truly believe in our kids’ programs. We want to encourage them to speak up, ask questions, and know positive coping methods as they navigate this awful disease. We hope to break the stigma, increase awareness, and help kids heal too.