The Auxiliary of Nexus Opts to Gather When Everyone Can Gather Safely as the Spring Luncheon is Cancelled Due to COVID-19
(Featured photo: Heather Ormand, CEO, Nexus Recovery Center; Elizabeth Minahan, Luncheon Chair; Janina Solomon, President, Auxiliary of Nexus.)*
Look for more Auxiliary News this Spring as Nexus Celebrates its 50th Anniversary with the Nexus 50 for 50 Anniversary Campaign through 2021
Janina Solomon, President of the Auxiliary of Nexus and Elizabeth Minahan, Luncheon Chair, report that the luncheon slated for May 21, 2021 has been cancelled.
Heather Ormand, CEO, Nexus Recovery Center said, “Nexus was founded on the principle that women deserve a safe place to achieve sobriety and focus on their mental and physical health. We have been working to achieve that for 50 years. In order to keep our strongest supporters, community members and staff healthy, we support the Auxiliary’s decision to cancel the spring luncheon. Nexus has strategically made the decision to hold off on hosting in-person events until we can all safely gather without the threat of COVID. Until our clients can have their loved ones visit them on campus without fear of community spread, or 12-step meetings are happening in live meeting spaces throughout the metroplex, we just don’t feel right having in-person fundraising events.
“Everyone at Nexus Recovery Center offers our heartfelt and sincere thanks to Janina and Elizabeth, as well as all members of the Auxiliary of Nexus for their genuine and earnest assistance throughout 2020 and 2021. They have put lots of time, energy and enthusiasm towards hosting this luncheon. None of us imagined we would still be unable to shake hands, hug or gather around a table when the decision was made to postpone 2020’s event to 2021. However, like so many others, we are adjusting to the continued normalcy of mask wearing, social distancing and limiting where we gather in groups.”
The community is encouraged to celebrate the personal and family success stories that come to life every day, as Nexus continues to meet the need to serve women and mothers seeking sobriety and safety during the pandemic. Donations are needed now more than ever. Every dollar given goes towards the mission to serve as a link to sobriety, independence, and dignity for low-income women and their families affected by substance use disorder. Nexus inspires hope, offers respect, and honors the unique differences of female suffering from substance use disorder. Everyone is invited to read the real-life stories and personal testimonies revealed on the website at www.nexusrecovery.org and to support Nexus’ 50th Anniversary all year long.
The Nexus 50 for 50 Anniversary Campaign, chaired by Jan Madigan, Nexus Board Member, and Carolyn Waghorne, longtime supporter, comes at a time when recovery efforts and treatment services are especially critical. The campaign focuses on raising funds for three different essential pillars of Nexus Recovery Center’s services: community, dignity and security. Funds designated for “community” will focus on Nexus Recovery Center’s campus environment, the nonprofit staff and frontline workers and the recovery community. Funds designated for “dignity” will be dedicated to the basic needs of Nexus Recovery Center’s clients, such as clothing and essential items. Lastly, funds donated towards “security” will go towards the safety of the Nexus Recovery Center campus and staff. The campaign aims to raise at least 50 gifts of $50K each. Find out how to help at nexus50for50.org
Be on the lookout for lots of fun and safe engagement opportunities from Nexus and the Auxiliary this spring, especially celebrating Mother’s Day and the inspiring journeys of Nexus client mothers. Membership in the Auxiliary is open to the public. Visit the Auxiliary’s website page https://nexusrecovery.org/about-auxiliary/ for more information.
For more information about Nexus Recovery Center and its services, visit www.nexusrecovery.org. Follow Nexus on Facebook @NexusRecoveryCenter and the Auxiliary @auxiliaryofnexus.
About the Auxiliary: Membership in the Auxiliary is open to the public. Everyone is invited to join in its mission to support and promote the interests of Nexus Recovery Center, Inc. This mission is accomplished by building a strong and active membership, stimulating public awareness and helping in the financial support of Nexus’ services and projects.
Mission Statement: The mission of Nexus Recovery Center is to serve as a link to sobriety, independence, and dignity for low-income women and their families affected by addiction. We inspire hope, offer respect, and honor the unique differences of female addicts.
Based in Dallas, Texas, Nexus Recovery Center is a 501(c)(3) that offers specialized substance use disorder treatment services for adult women as well as therapeutic treatment and care for their accompanying children in order to break the cycle of addiction. Nexus has been accredited by the Joint Commission since 2006 and is the only treatment center in North Texas that accepts women in the late stages of pregnancy and allows children to accompany their mothers into treatment. For more information, call (214) 321-0156 or visit www.nexusrecovery.org
In fiscal year 2019, Nexus served 1,900 women and adolescent girls and 364 children, including 71 Nexus-born babies
Nexus served over 900 women in residential treatment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic from March through August 2020. Nearly 1 in 4 clients served through residential treatment were experiencing homelessness when admitted. These women were kept safe healthy while receiving life-saving treatment at Nexus.
In March 2018, Forbes reported that drug overdoses are the leading cause of death from injury in the United States and that women are more susceptible to become addicted to drugs as a result of gender-specific issues. The Hartford Courant reported that women face a higher risk for an opioid addiction and women have significant barriers to receiving treatment. Because addiction takes hold of women faster and results in increased negative physical effects, women generally come to treatment for addiction in worse shape than men.
Drug overdose deaths have outpaced motor vehicle accidents and gun homicides combined, killing Americans at a faster pace than the HIV epidemic did at its peak. The US consumes more opioid pain medication than any other country on Earth, and drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in Americans under 50. These statistics have spurred multiple governmental entities to name this the defining epidemic of our generation.
Nexus provides quality, gender-specific treatment. We meet the unique needs of women by providing access to psychiatric services, counseling for trauma induced by physical, mental, and sexual abuse, prenatal and postpartum programs and childcare regardless of ability to pay. When compared with mixed gender treatment, women-only treatment increased the odds of successful outcomes by 44%. Studies show that having at least one parent in recovery, helps minimize negative health outcomes in children.
History: Established in 1971 by women in recovery themselves, Nexus is thrilled to be celebrating its 50th year. In 1990 the facility relocated to a 12-acre campus in east Dallas to provide a wider array of services. The new space enabled Nexus to become a leader in treatment for women by allowing children to accompany their mothers into treatment. In 1991, Nexus expanded the adult women program to 40 beds. In 1993 because no treatment providers would accept pregnant or newly parenting teens Nexus began filling this service gap. In 1999, the Child Development Center was built to meet the needs of accompanying children.
Joint Commission accredited since 2006, a rare accomplishment in the non-profit sector due to the high standards required to earn and maintain. Nexus is committed to providing top-notch care for low-income women and their children.
*Photo of Heather Ormand, courtesy photo. Photo of Elizabeth and Janina by Jan Osborne.
(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent the Auxiliary of Nexus Recovery Center and be a part of the PR team representing Nexus Recovery Center.)
