The Herren Project

OUR MISSION The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder. OUR GOALS Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA. Hi friends, join me in making a difference by supporting a good cause! I'm raising money for The Herren Project and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

I am raising money for the Herren Project in honor of my cousin, Christopher Alexander Torres. Christopher passed away from a drug overdose on April 10th, 2022. He was 19 years old. He began using drugs towards the end of his senior year with some friends and struggled with addiction for some time before his passing. My family did not realize the signs of addiction that he was displaying, and we lacked the resources and services needed to help him before it was too late. With International Overdose Awareness Day being on August 31st and Christopher’s birthday being on September 1st, I would like to raise money for individuals and families dealing with substance abuse and overdoses.

I would like to honor his life by contributing to the Herren Project in order to support other families. My hope is that by increasing resources, guidance, and quality care, no other family will have to go through the struggle of burying  someone they love and no other individual will suffer from substance abuse. 

OUR MISSION The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder. OUR GOALS Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA.

Please join me in making a difference by supporting a good cause! I'm raising money in honor of Christopher Torres for The Herren Project and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me and others!

Want to join us in making a difference? We are raising money to benefit The Herren Project, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us. Enjoy the workout!!

More information about The Herren Project: OUR MISSION The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder. OUR GOALS Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA.

Dear Friends and Family,
 
With 2020 in the rearview mirror (phew), I know we are all looking ahead to a healthier and happier year to come. Like many of us trying to survive this challenging time, physical and mental health has been on the forefront of my mind and it seemed like no better time to set a goal that would enhance my mental, spiritual and physical well-being while more importantly bringing awareness and raising funds for a cause close to my heart. I’m graciously asking for your support as I embark on training for the 2021 New York City Marathon, which also happens to be the 50th Anniversary of the TCS NYC Marathon! No backing out now! 
 
I’ve never run a marathon or even a half marathon. Until now, I’ve never even considered running one and truthfully do not consider myself an avid runner. So how did I arrive at the decision to tackle the world’s most popular marathon, a 26.2 mile trek through the five boroughs on November 7th, 2021?  
 
Here is my Why: This race for me is about something much greater than myself. I am humbled to have been selected to run on behalf of the Herren Project, a national nonprofit organization providing free resources and support for the treatment, recovery and prevention of substance abuse disorders. This amazing community of teammates from all across the world and all walks of life has inspired me with their stories, resilience and determination to overcome life’s toughest obstacles. I’ve seen many faces of addiction throughout the past few months while volunteering at the Helping up Mission in downtown Baltimore, another propelling factor that compelled me to get involved and try to make a difference in whatever small way I can. 
 
I was also deeply inspired by Founder, Chris Herren’s story when I heard him speak at the Gilman School seven years ago. Herren, a former professional NBA basketball player fought a long battle with addiction that ended up costing him his career but he gained something greater- sobriety and a platform to make a difference in the lives of those affected by addiction. For the last ten years, Herren has dedicated his life to traveling all across the country sharing his story as a public speaker over 250 days a year to the likes of professional sports teams, TED Talks and college commencements as well as packed auditoriums of middle and high school students.  Herren’s story is proof that addiction does not discriminate.
 
I have a fundraising goal of $5,000, with every dollar raised supporting the Herren project’s focus areas including effective treatment navigation, educational initiatives and mentoring programs for youth and at-risk populations in hopes of saving a life and making a difference in the lives of those touched by addiction.
Aside from my monetary commitment, I have a separate and equally important goal of promoting education and awareness regarding the stigmas surrounding mental health and addiction in an effort to change our collective consciousness when it comes to the realities surrounding these issues.
With this letter, I gratefully ask for your support. Your donation is tax-deductible and no donation is too small. I want to thank you in advance for your generosity with hope that this makes even a small difference in the lives of those battling addiction and the families who love and support them. 
 
With love,
 
Lauren 

More information about The Herren Project: OUR MISSION The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder. OUR GOALS Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA.

My name is Johnny Igolnikov.  My dear friend Chris J. who battled a tough drug addiction in high school and passed away from an overdose in June of 2020. In memory of Chris, my goal is to raise money in effort to help people that are affected by drug addiction and help get them the right treatment to get them through it. Substance abuse can effect people's lives mentally and physically in so many ways and my goal is to put an effort to help stop this so nobody would have to go through what Chris had. 

Chris was one of the most outgoing and genuine humans I ever met. Ever since I became friends with him in elementary school he never failed to put a smile on my face and always cared for me all the way up to my high school years. He really went through something many other high schools could not even fathom and stayed strong throughout it. The reason I chose to start a fundraiser toward the Herren project is because it helps fund people's drug treatment and create sober cultures within schools. Let's change the world for the better in memory of Chris and combat the rampant drug culture that is prevalent in many American Schools today.

I will be directly withdrawing any and all funds donated from GOFUNDME and using 100% of it to donate towards "The Herren Project".  In addition, I will be donating 100% of my proceeds selling my photography prints this month towards this as well. 


More information about The Herren Project: OUR MISSION The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder. OUR GOALS Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA.

Want to join me in making a difference?

I'm raising money to benefit The Herren Project (non-profit), in memory of my cousin Jonathan who recently lost his battle with addiction. 

In February 2020, I will be making the 40 mile hike up Mt Kilamanjaro. I will be dedicating my hike to his memory and to raise money for, The Herren Project. Their goal is to provide resources, guidance, and support to individuals and families who are affected by substance use disorder. 

I am asking you to consider donating $.50, $1, $5, $10, for each mile of my hike, i.e. $1/mile = $40 donation. 

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. If you want to follow along this journey check out my Instagram page, @projectmyhike

The Herren Project:

OUR MISSION: The mission of Herren Project is to support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder.

OUR GOALS: Provide resources, guidance and support for individuals and families to receive quality care. To walk with individuals on their path to recovery. Empower our youth to make healthy decisions. Build an active community of recovery advocates across the USA.

I am raising money to benefit The Herren Project by Running the 2019 Berlin Marathon together with my sister Caitlin Dolkart and a team of volunteers each seeking to raise $2500 per person.

Nearly every family has been affected by substance abuse. We are running as family members and in support of families worldwide as evidence of what families, teamwork and the human spirit can accomplish.  Thank you for reading this and any donation large or small will help make an impact.

We very much appreciate your contribution to this cause that means so much to us. As we are not unfortunately fast enough to qualify based on finishing time, this presents a very worthy alternative. The story of Chris Herren has been featured in the ESPN documentary "Unguarded" and Chris Herren frequently speaks publicly about his path to sobriety and charitable work on CNN, in TedX Talks, and more.

I encourage you to Google Search "Chris Herren" and learn more about his amazing life story.   Fair warning you may spend the next hour reading about him and watching videos on YouTube as I did.  More information about The Herren Project:

The mission of The Herren Project is to provide assistance in taking the first steps toward recovery and a life of sobriety, educational programs, and resources to increase awareness on the signs of addiction and bring hope for a better tomorrow.

Herren Project treatment navigation & recovery includes five areas of support for individuals and families.  These areas include: treatment navigation into a facility for those struggling with addiction, assistance with aftercare planning and support upon completion of a treatment program, a recovery housing scholarship program for those in need of a recovery residence, recovery coaching, and guidance and support for family members and loved ones.  

In 2017 Herren Project treatment team assisted over 550 individuals and families. The recovery housing scholarship program was expanded, allowing increased access to programs vital to maintaining early sobriety and taking a step forward in their journey of recovery. Our Give A Bed program was launched, providing much-needed scholarships to in-patient treatment program beds and the online virtual support group offerings grew to include family and grief support.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvOTJQerLO8&t=6s

https://herrenproject.org/

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/30/us/iyw-chris-herren-project-drug-addiction/index.html