Faces and Voices of Recovery

Faces & Voices of Recovery is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to organizing and mobilizing the millions of Americans in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, our families, friends, and allies to speak with one voice. The organization is working to change public perceptions of recovery, promote effective public policy in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states, and demonstrate that recovery is working for millions of Americans. It is our mission to bring the power and proof of recovery to everyone in the nation.

Faces & Voices of Recovery is a national network of over 20,000 individuals and
organizations joining together to speak out and support local, state, regional and national recovery advocacy by:
• Being a national rallying point for recovery advocates
• Linking advocates to organizing, policy, and research support
• Building advocacy skills through hands-on training and technical assistance
• Improving access to policymakers and the media

Organizational activities include:
• Creation of the first ever “Recovery Bill of Rights,” a declaration stating that all Americans have a right to be free from addiction and to build new lives. Part of this effort is a call for federal, state, and local officials to implement public and private policies to get individuals and their families the help they need
• The Online Advocacy Action Center which harnesses the power of the Web to keep
recovery advocates informed and make activism easier than ever
• A multi-faceted, one-stop recovery Web site with information for activists, families, and those in long-term recovery on how to get involved in their communities
• The Addiction Recovery Insurance Equity Campaign, working to end discrimination against people with addiction
• The Recovery Voices Count Campaign, an effort to register voters, educate candidates and get-out-the vote
• A bi-monthly advocacy eNewsletter and quarterly publication called Rising!
Faces & Voices of Recovery is supported in this effort by a growing membership, foundations, government agencies and the many friends of addiction recovery around the nation.


What Can You Do?
There are many ways that you can take action and be a face and a voice for recovery. The level of action that you take will depend on the stage of your recovery and your personal circumstances. If you don’t want to be public about your recovery, you can work as an advocate behind the scenes, providing financial and other support to our growing national movement. The important thing is, there’s something that you can do to support recovery today!

Speak out as a person in long-term recovery or as a family member. Use our Recovery Messaging or Power of Our Stories video to practice ways of talking about recovery and what it’s meant to you. Use our Advocacy with Anonymity brochure to learn how to tell your story without violating the traditions if you are in recovery using a 12-step program. Share your story with friends, neighbors, co-workers and policymakers.
Educate yourself and others about Faces & Voices’ campaigns and the issues that are important to the recovery community. We have advocacy tools for you to use for specific campaigns like sample letters to the editor. Use our Recovery is a Reality powerpoint and ask to talk to PTA, Rotary Club, inmates at your local jail, Medical Society or other group. Subscribe to our eNewsletter for electronic updates.
Hone your advocacy skills by participating in webinars and trainings. Faces & Voices and allied organizations host trainings that you can use to increase your effectiveness as an advocate. Educate your elected officials about pending issues. You can use our Online Advocacy Action Center to send emails to federal policymakers about national issues of importance to the recovery community. Invite your mayor, council member, state and federal elected officials to attend your events and activities.

Join a local, regional or state-wide recovery community organization. Coming together with others to speak with one voice as an organized constituency increases the effectiveness of your advocacy voice. If there isn’t an organized recovery community organization where you live, we can help you get one started!
Stay in touch with recovery advocates in your regional through Faces & Voices’ regional listservs. There’s a lot going on in communities around the country and we can learn from one another about new strategies and campaigns to get the word out about actions to take to support long-term recovery.

Information taken directly from the organization's website at www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org.