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Looking Back - A Year of Touching Lives
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“Build it and they will come!” Are those words familiar to you? Whether you
contribute this phrase to Kevin Costner in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams or to William Kinsella, author of Shoeless Joe, the meaning of that sentence has rung more true for the Perfectly Flawed Foundation than I ever would have imagined when our doors opened in 2017. And while we didn’t actually build a ballfield or a building to house the Perfectly Flawed offices, we did build a foundation of resources for individuals and families affected by addiction in our community.
During this Holiday Season when many people – my family included – are busy making their homes warm and welcoming for family and friends, I have made it an annual holiday practice to sit and quietly reflect on the people who have turned to Perfectly Flawed for help this past year: children, teens, parents, family members and caring friends – all shapes and sizes, all with various backgrounds, stories and needs. Their stories of struggle and bravery keep me humble. It reminds me why I do this work…work that would not be possible without your support.
From all of us at The Perfectly Flawed Foundation, may your holidays be blessed with the love of family and friends!
Sincerely,
Luke M. Tomsha
Founder and Executive Director
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Volunteers from The Perfectly Flawed Foundation's 3rd annual Earth Day Cleanup
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Thank you Volunteers!
We would not exist without our volunteers. We'd like to take a moment and acknowledge everyone who has given their time and talents to The Perfectly Flawed Foundation's mission. We celebrate those individuals who provide us with the needed time and expertise to accomplish many of our foundation’s goals!
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Sign up to Volunteer
The Perfectly Flawed Foundation is always searching for
passionate volunteers looking to make a difference.
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Volunteer Spotlight - Peg Helm
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Peg is a ray of sunshine that can find a way to brighten anyone's day. She brings her excitement and passion everywhere she goes. Peg has a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and serves as co-chair of our Youth Enrichment committee. Whether it is with Perfectly Flawed or enjoying retirement, Peg is always on the go! In her spare time she loves running, biking, sailing, and traveling. Peg loves the sincerity and dedication of the staff and volunteers, and her personal dedication to our cause is of great reward to her. We love having her around the office! Thank you, Peg, for everything you do!
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Back2School Bash
Thank you to everyone who came out to help make our first Back2School Bash a tremendous success. It was a very exciting and inspiring day for over 500 students.
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Giving youth something to say "Yes" to!
The Perfectly Flawed Foundation's Yes4Youth program provides enrichment activities & counseling by licensed providers for youth 17 and under directly impacted by addiction.
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Photo Booth Fun with Perfectly Flawed!
Perfectly Flawed's photo booth captures empowering moments and encourages youth to believe in themselves. It also lets them know they are not alone should they have struggles. Our photo booth premiered June 12th at the LaSalle Lincoln Junior High School Graduation dance and it was a hit! The kids had a blast getting their photo taken and celebrating their graduation. Our volunteers had fun too!
Request the photo booth at your event
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More Americans died from a drug overdose in 2017 than in the entire Vietnam War.
Drug Policy Alliance
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Giving a Helping Hand
You are not alone in your struggle. Since 2017, The Perfectly Flawed Foundation has had over 275 individuals, family members and loved ones reach out for support. If you or a loved one are struggling with drugs or alcohol, reach out. Sometimes people just need someone to talk who can relate to them. We provide direct non-licensed peer support and navigation and help facilitate guidance to a higher level of care when requested.
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Any Positive Change Peer Support Group
The Perfectly Flawed Foundation defines 'recovery' as "any positive change as the individual defines it!" Perfectly Flawed's weekly one hour support group meetings may be just what you have been looking for. We believe the opposite of addiction, is not sobriety, rather human connection and we work to facilitate positive change however the individual defines it. Our meetings are open to the public and completely confidential. These meetings are facilitated by Veronica Hawthorne-Senica, who is certified in SMART Recovery.
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Finding a job and employer willing to give someone a chance is one of the more powerful tools for a person in recovery. Perfectly Flawed is part of a Department of Labor Grant to help 30 people in recovery re-enter the workforce in an eight-county area. The grant announced this fall includes an award of up to $681,146 to Business Employment Skills Team, Inc. on behalf of NCI Works to hire five people to aid families and individuals and to help 30 people re-enter the workforce after going through treatment. The grant enables BEST to hire a person for Perfectly Flawed for a wide variety of tasks to assist in this work force initiative. Click here for more details.
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Nothing is more rewarding than receiving news that we helped prevent someone from dying. The Perfectly Flawed Foundation is a state-sanctioned Drug Overdose Prevention Program and hosts Overdose Prevention Training on Nalaxone, the life-saving drug that reverses Opioid overdose. Individuals learn how to recognize an opioid overdose, how to administer Naloxone, how to train others to administer Naloxone, the steps to take until EMS arrive, and also receive a free Emergency Overdose Rescue Kit, that includes Naloxone. The training picutred was presented by Sue Tisdale in collaboration with the Human Services Center (HSC) Peoria, IL.
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If you or a representative of your organization would like to schedule a free training, contact us!
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Education, Advocacy & Awareness
This past year Perfectly Flawed reached a milestone by passing our first piece of legislation. In collaboration with a coalition of experts and advocates throughout Illinois we passed SB1828, The Harm Reduction and Recovery Act, with Senator Sue Rezin as a chief co-sponsor. This bill will undoubtably save lives and help people find recovery. In addition to state advocacy, we work to reduce stigma and promote awareness that no family is immune to substance-related death. We work to educate policy makers and community leaders to understand the importance of taking a cost-effective, public health approach to substance use and how a shift in approach will decrease crime, strengthen the workforce, prevent the spread of infectious disease and most importantly save lives. If you would like to schedule a time for us to come speak with your organization, contact us directly at team@perfectlyflawed.org
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Communities Project
The Perfectly Flawed team is a planning partner for The Communities Project, a national initiative across the country to align voices and combat addiction. This past year our team met with other organizations throughout the state to help understand steps we can take in our own communities to provide services to those in need.
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Healthcare
We are proud of our healthcare team for putting resource bags in all local hospital emergency room departments in our Tri-County area. The bags are full of local and state support resources for individuals and families dealing with overdose and drug/alcohol related issues. They also include basic toiletry and hygienic items.
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A Christmas Miracle
Our team members had a great time delivering Christmas trees and bringing joy to families in recovery. It's the little things that help change the direction of someones life!
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A Perfectly Flawed Evening 2019
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We continued to be blessed by having such a supportive community behind our efforts! This year we were humbled by the courage of John Hurst to share his story of his son Andy. His touching story highlighted the fact that no family is immune to this crisis. John's bravery reminds us how important it is to remove the barriers of stigma and offer supportive services for those who struggle. May God bless the Hurst family and all families who have endured the unimaginable loss of a loved one!
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In Memoriam,
This past April, we were saddened by the passing of Diana Mueller. It was just last year when she took the stage at our Annual Gala sharing her daughter Alex's story and how she was raising her granddaughter, Gianna. Diana and Mueller family certainly left her mark on the hearts of everyone involved at The Perfectly Flawed Foundation. We offer our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the Mueller family.
Learn more about Diana's story and view her video.
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Donate
Your support allows us to make a difference our community and beyond! You can contribute to Perfectly Flawed by clicking here or by calling 815-830-8675.
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