Connect Allies of addicts during COVID-19
Donation protected
My starting point
Around the age of 14, I'd been struggling with a crack addiction for a few months and abusing prescription drugs for a few years with my mother. One night it hit me that I was headed in exactly the same direction as she was. That was the day that I decided to call my grandparents and ask them to pick me up. I detoxed in a spare room that I'd had reserved just for me after living off and on with them for many years. My grandparents saved my life. They were my Allies. They were the people in my life who wanted desperately to help me and my mother with our addictions. But they didn’t have any support.
Back to AddictionAlly
With your donations, I want to build the only reasonable way to bring Allies together while COVID-19 is rampant. We need technology that’s up to date and effective for connecting people around the world. Right now, the only ways for Allies to meet each other are by going to local support groups or by joining a group on Facebook. Not only are support groups not convening right now, but the typical demographic for most support groups for Allies does not include anyone younger than the age of 50 (reported by multiple yearly report surveys authored by the groups themselves). I went regularly to a group for years and never managed to meet someone my age who could relate to me. When support groups showed me nothing, I turned to Facebook. Ultimately, I found that Facebook is an impossible means to speak freely about addiction, given the constant threat of a group being banned for using words like “suicide” or the names of various drugs. That’s why I decided to build AddictionAlly.
The way we've learned to meet people has evolved but, unfortunately, the addiction support groups have not kept up. It's time to build something that is more familiar, more efficient, more compatible with social distancing, and can meet a demographic that needs a new way of connecting more now than ever. It’s time for a modern way to allow Allies to find and support one another, so they can better support their loved ones struggling with addiction.
What’s the money going to be used for?
First and foremost, the money will be used for gathering as much information as we possibly can from users. We need to understand what our Allies are struggling with, and what it is they most want in a connection with another Ally. Once we have that information from enough people, we can start matching and connecting them. Local support groups match people based on accidental geography in a haphazard way, but the technology I aim to build will create smart groupings with like-minded individuals who are living in similar circumstances. Equally, Facebook is not equipped to deal with supporting anything outside of the socially accepted “norms” of society. Your Gofundme donations will fund the software development, advertisement for user acquisition and initial algorithm design to figure out how to match people reliably. This matching algorithm will provide the most effective way to help someone find another who can really help them, anonymously. Think of it like an online dating app, but for Allies to find each other for peer support. I think this was needed before COVID, but I know it’s needed even more now that local support groups aren’t an option for many.
Why I need your help for Allies
The US is struggling with both addiction and mental health crises because of growing isolation from each other. This is an opportunity for us to find a new way to connect and support each other. An online matching system will make it infinitely easier to connect Allies with similar struggles and stories without having to leave the comfort of their homes. I need your support now so that we can begin to heal and connect Allies. They deserve as much support as they're giving to their loved ones who are struggling with addiction. I ask that you give whatever you can. If you are an Ally yourself, go to Addiction-Ally.com and sign up for free by filling out an anonymous form that will help us connect you with someone who will understand your story and your struggles. It's time to focus on the people who often give their hearts and their souls to those struggling with addictions so that we can treat addiction from the outside in.
For more about how I got here and who I am, watch this video for a much more intimate impromptu interview.
We're all in this together. Thank you for your contribution!
Around the age of 14, I'd been struggling with a crack addiction for a few months and abusing prescription drugs for a few years with my mother. One night it hit me that I was headed in exactly the same direction as she was. That was the day that I decided to call my grandparents and ask them to pick me up. I detoxed in a spare room that I'd had reserved just for me after living off and on with them for many years. My grandparents saved my life. They were my Allies. They were the people in my life who wanted desperately to help me and my mother with our addictions. But they didn’t have any support.
Back to AddictionAlly
With your donations, I want to build the only reasonable way to bring Allies together while COVID-19 is rampant. We need technology that’s up to date and effective for connecting people around the world. Right now, the only ways for Allies to meet each other are by going to local support groups or by joining a group on Facebook. Not only are support groups not convening right now, but the typical demographic for most support groups for Allies does not include anyone younger than the age of 50 (reported by multiple yearly report surveys authored by the groups themselves). I went regularly to a group for years and never managed to meet someone my age who could relate to me. When support groups showed me nothing, I turned to Facebook. Ultimately, I found that Facebook is an impossible means to speak freely about addiction, given the constant threat of a group being banned for using words like “suicide” or the names of various drugs. That’s why I decided to build AddictionAlly.
The way we've learned to meet people has evolved but, unfortunately, the addiction support groups have not kept up. It's time to build something that is more familiar, more efficient, more compatible with social distancing, and can meet a demographic that needs a new way of connecting more now than ever. It’s time for a modern way to allow Allies to find and support one another, so they can better support their loved ones struggling with addiction.
What’s the money going to be used for?
First and foremost, the money will be used for gathering as much information as we possibly can from users. We need to understand what our Allies are struggling with, and what it is they most want in a connection with another Ally. Once we have that information from enough people, we can start matching and connecting them. Local support groups match people based on accidental geography in a haphazard way, but the technology I aim to build will create smart groupings with like-minded individuals who are living in similar circumstances. Equally, Facebook is not equipped to deal with supporting anything outside of the socially accepted “norms” of society. Your Gofundme donations will fund the software development, advertisement for user acquisition and initial algorithm design to figure out how to match people reliably. This matching algorithm will provide the most effective way to help someone find another who can really help them, anonymously. Think of it like an online dating app, but for Allies to find each other for peer support. I think this was needed before COVID, but I know it’s needed even more now that local support groups aren’t an option for many.
Why I need your help for Allies
The US is struggling with both addiction and mental health crises because of growing isolation from each other. This is an opportunity for us to find a new way to connect and support each other. An online matching system will make it infinitely easier to connect Allies with similar struggles and stories without having to leave the comfort of their homes. I need your support now so that we can begin to heal and connect Allies. They deserve as much support as they're giving to their loved ones who are struggling with addiction. I ask that you give whatever you can. If you are an Ally yourself, go to Addiction-Ally.com and sign up for free by filling out an anonymous form that will help us connect you with someone who will understand your story and your struggles. It's time to focus on the people who often give their hearts and their souls to those struggling with addictions so that we can treat addiction from the outside in.
For more about how I got here and who I am, watch this video for a much more intimate impromptu interview.
We're all in this together. Thank you for your contribution!
Organizer
Jessica Morrison
Organizer
Austin, TX