WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ambrosia Treatment Center (Ambrosia) and Pro Football Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Cris Carter today announced the launch of the “We Do Recover” movement. The movement aims to save lives by ending the stigma of addiction and addiction treatment, because currently while 24 million Americans struggle with drugs or alcohol, only 2 million seek treatment.
To end the stigma surrounding addiction and addiction treatment, the movement will have many facets, including:
- Promoting stories of hope to spread inspirational proof that addicts can recover and lead successful, driven, full lives.
- Providing $500 college scholarships to eligible recipients in recovery or loved ones affected by addiction.
- Making influencers, such as Cris Carter, available to tell their own recovery stories through comprehensive programs directed to specific audiences, including corporations and hospitals.
- Hosting public monthly fellowship events for those in recovery, as well as their loved ones, in order to ensure support and build community.
- Offering materials, helplines and monetary donations to well-aligned advocacy groups that educate community-by-community.
- Collaborating with other prestigious organizations to produce superior research, with the goal of benchmarking the stigma and improving treatment effectiveness.
- Building a network of influencers, like Cris Carter, who can share their stories with the media.
“It’s already hard fighting the physical and mental dependency of addiction and, as a society, we put up yet another barrier to getting help – the social stigma that surrounds addiction and addiction treatment,” said Carter. “With 24 million Americans struggling with drugs or alcohol, but only 2 million seeking treatment, I have partnered with Ambrosia to launch the ‘We Do Recover’ movement because this is a life or death issue. It’s paramount that we break through this barrier and eliminate the stigma of addiction by educating the public on the fact that addiction is a disease, as well as encourage those who are suffering to enter treatment, because, in recovery, we can do incredible things, including leading a successful, full life.”
One of the most distinguished players in NFL history, Carter struggled with addiction early in his career, but credits being in recovery for allowing him to achieve his greatest accomplishments. Drafted out of Ohio State University by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987, Carter went on to a stellar NFL career spanning 16 years, including 12 years with the Minnesota Vikings. He appeared in eight consecutive Pro Bowls and was the second player in NFL history to catch 1,000 passes. Carter ranks second on the NFL’s all-time list for total receptions and receiving touchdowns. He was named to the All-Decade Team (1990) by the Pro-Football-Hall-of-Fame Selection Committee and received the 1999 NFL Man of the Year award. Carter has stated with absolute certainty that he would never have achieved these accolades without his sobriety.
“We are thrilled to be launching the ‘We Do Recover’ movement today with the support of Football Hall of Fame Legend Cris Carter,” said Jerry Haffey, Sr., Ambrosia’s CEO and founder. “It is a moral imperative that we end the social stigma of addiction and demonstrate that it is a disease that should be treated, not the failure of an individual that should be ignored or swept under the rug. And, it is precisely the goal of our ‘We Do Recover’ movement to build a strong group of treatment advocates, who will promote a healthy conversation on addiction and addiction treatment, while continuing to partner with prestigious organizations to build on the research we already have to improve treatment effectiveness. Together, we can end the stigma surrounding addiction and help more people live healthy, happy lives in recovery.”
Haffey’s passion for caring for individuals stems from his enduring desire to leave this world better than he found it. He began helping others while working as a registered nurse in his native Philadelphia. Caring for the sick and wounded, he found reward in being connected to others on such an intimate basis. Haffey also found; however, that illicit substances were grabbing hold of patients after witnessing many succumb to the exhaustive fight of addiction. With a sincere desire to make a difference, Haffey relocated his family to South Florida and opened a small business to fight the crisis head-on. Today, Haffey’s business has become a nationwide alcohol and drug rehabilitation refuge, awarding free scholarships to nearly 500 suffering addicts. Ambrosia Treatment Center started with 10 employees and 20 beds, but now has five locations in multiple states and over 225 employees. In August 2016, Haffey also received the Humanitarian Award from the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation for his passionate and courageous work in the health care field.
Ambrosia has helped more than 7,500 clients affected by mental illness and addiction since 2008 and has become the gold standard in care, priding itself on standing out from other alcohol and drug rehab centers. Ambrosia believes that by treating the science behind substance abuse and the emotions that fuel it, addiction can be overcome. To learn more about Ambrosia, visit ambrosiatc.com.