C.A.R.E.S. to launch new group

SOUTHBURY — In response to the opioid crisis and sharp increase in cases of substance use disorder in Connecticut, the Community Addiction & Recovery Education & Support Group, (C.A.R.E.S.) is launching “SouthburyOxford C.A.R.E.S.” its fifth Hope & Support Group beginning Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 7-9 p.m. at the United Church of Christ, 283 Main Street North, Southbury.

C.A.R.E.S. provides free, weekly drop-in support groups for parents, families, and concerned individuals whose loved ones are using or abusing mindaltering substances.

“The family members of those afflicted with substance use disorder are often forgotten when a crisis strikes. Often the guilt and shame that accompanies this disease prevents people from reaching out and seeking help,” said Donna DeLuca, C.A.R.E.S. co-founder and mother of two children who were once addicted, in a written statement. She and her son Matt, a young man in recovery from opioids, began C.A.R.E.S. in an effort to help others and to combat the stigma of addiction.

“If everyone knows somebody that is struggling with substance abuse, why is it so difficult for us to talk openly about it?” Matt DeLuca said.

He began a social media campaign called Everyone Knows Someone on Facebook and Instagram to give a raw, unfiltered perspective of addiction from those who have lived experience.

C.A.R.E.S. has partnered with community advocates including the SouthburyMiddlebury SMART Coalition and several concerned citizens of Oxford in bringing this much-needed support to the greater Southbury area.

For more information about the C.A.R.E.S. organization and their other support group locations, or for immediate assistance call 855-406-0246 or visit www.thecaresgroup.org.