Welcome to our sixth Sam Chase Fund newsletter. Our intention is to inform you of resources aligned with our mission of helping young adults find their path to thrive,  showcase non-profits raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, make you laugh and maybe cry, celebrate the young friends we help along the way, and so much more. Thank you for being on this journey with us. In this newsletter you will see what we have offered already, and what we have in store for this summer. Do you have ideas for us? Give us a call, a text, an email, or a DM! You will receive these newsletters on the 27th of each month. 

As we have new subscribers every month, we want you to have access to all past and present newsletters! Our website now has a newsletter archives, for your convenient reading. Thank you for joining us and we are so grateful you are here. Please visit our website and read each tab to get a deeper understanding of all we are doing.

Announcements

Gratitude Non Profit of the Year: 4th of July Parade

On July 4th we were recognized in front of our sweet home town as Non Profit of the Year. This award meant more to us than you could've imagined. Knowing that after only 6 months of this fund officially being started, we had reached a significant number of people in the community who saw our mission and believed in us to go further. As we walked in the parade, we had 25 people join our walk who all loved Sam so much. Seeing people asking about the fund, holding up signs, or cheering us on from the side lines brought us to tears with the amount of love we felt. Thank you for giving us a space to keep Sam's name and legacy living on forever. This is just the first year and we have so much more in store. We cannot wait to keep growing, learning, educating, and loving with all of you. Thank you for believing in The Sam Chase Fund. We are humbled to be here, growing this space. 

Sam's Story

   In our April edition, we shared Sam's story. The amount of love & support that was poured into us gave us the hope we needed to know we are doing the right thing by opening up. Thank you for supporting our vulnerability and standing with us as we dive deep into things that can be normally shied away from.  

For more stories like Sam's, click below to view impact stories from other loved ones who lost their young adult to fentanyl poisoning. 

Outreach

Where we are in the community: A Note from Courtney

 I will be honest, the fact that SCF is growing brings a lot of emotions.  I reach for Sam, our mission, our hearts, and the love we have for people to keep me motivated and learning how to best serve others. As of right now, this Fall will be busy for SCF! We will be at multiple high schools and a local community college doing mental health trainings, social/emotional skill  trainings, young adult leadership classes, life skills, monthly workshops, eCPR, and so much more.  And although this is more challenging, we also hope to offer new drug education to schools. We believe kids and adults need this knowledge!  Of course, we will keep you informed of how this all goes, all of our wins and even our obstacles. As always, thank you for your support! Don't hesitate to reach out because I LOVE and appreciate your kind words, phone calls, and messages. Courtney xo

 Our team is expanding because three of us can no longer hold all the responsibilities! If you or anyone you know may be interested in joining a team of positive, hard working, big hearted, funny people, don't hesitate to reach out. You don't have to know Sam! We will be sure to tell you enough about him to make you feel like you do:) You also don't have to live in our area!

  Those interested can contact us below, on our website, or our Instagram! 

Resources

988 Mental Health Hotline

We wanted to share new mental health information that came into effect on July 16th; the number 988; it is the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. This number was created to increase access to care for Americans facing mental health crises. From 2000 to 2020, suicide rates have increased by over 30%. This source was created to save lives and provide quick access to the resources these people need and deserve. Trained counselors will provide support, listen, and can even connect you to resources. This number can save lives and we can share it with all of those around us. For more information, the link to the website is here: https://988lifeline.org/

Fentanyl 101: What is Fentanyl?

We want to share what we are currently researching and learning, in order for us to share this vital information with all of you and continue to spread awareness and reach others. 

Illicit Fentanyl

The legitimate, pharmaceutical-grade version of Fentanyl is produced by pharmaceutical companies using precise and advanced technology and administered by professionals in medical facilities with proper dosage. It's controlled quality and distribution make it safe and regulated when prescribed. It is very uncommon for overdosing to occur in this environment, or any form of misuse and or tampering. 

Illicit Fentanyl is the street drug version of the drug, that is created by dealers and mixed into pills, powders, marijuana, liquids, etc. in makeshift labs with no controlled quality. It is sold in items at illegal markets, and not manufactured to the same standards as pharmaceutical Fentanyl, exponentially increasing the risks of catastrophe when in use. Its potency varies by each maker and batch; most buyers don’t even know the true distribution. Fake pills are created, even with inconsistent amounts of the illicit Fentanyl.

• Fake pills are created in a variety of covert and underground settings such as garages, basements, and more by unqualified makers who do not bother to check for quality or safe distribution. This creates high unpredictable doses in each pill, making consumption like a form of roulette.

• Due to the lack of regulation, there is no way to guarantee safety. Illicit Fentanyl has contributed to the majority of U.S Drug Deaths in the last few years. 

   

Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than morphine, meaning it takes a lot less to achieve "relief" than other opioid drugs. This makes the drug lethal, even in the smallest doses. The difference between life and death is down to a few milligrams, which is about a few grains of salt.

This information was provided by Song For Charlie. To access a full page on facts about Fentanyl and FAQ, click below

227 Applications are open!

Do you have a passion you want to pursue, but aren’t sure how to pursue it? If you are looking for help guiding you through your next step to explore your path, whether its college readiness, life after high school, mental health support, counseling,  or FUN summer trips & adventures, we want to help YOU find your compelling future.👇🏼

Here is an example of just a few of the things we can sponsor!

Adventure, service, leadership: https://www.outwardbound.org. 

Travel, service, leadership, culture: https://www.unitedplanet.org. 

Academic, post-high school readiness, career exploration: https://programs.scholarshope.org/register?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0PWRBhDKARIsAPKHFGhyEJOyOL9FQ6c5AYLdYkW0GrOcVTGIvu62Lck6W8nLtZoGkeU-NW8aAoN-EALw_wcB 

Spotlights

Celebrating our community's youth!

Along with spreading Fentanyl Awareness, our mission stands strong in helping to support young adults through their path in life wherever that may be. Everyone has a place in this world and we want to help you find yours. 

We had many 2022 scholarship applications and we had THREE Sam Chase Fund scholarship winners! For the next three months we get to highlight the THREE recipients of our first ever Sam Chase Fund Scholarship. We awarded this $2,000 scholarship to incoming college freshmen in Siskiyou County, California for the 2022/23 academic year. Applicants must have a 2.0 minimum GPA and submit a compelling 750-word essay about a challenge, hardship, or mistake they have overcome and how that strengthened their commitment to grow and find a fulfilling future. We awarded these scholarships based on our  applicant’s potential, resilience, and grit, rather than past academic performance. 

This month, we introduce you to Ryan Mitchell!

Article Of The Month

"Chase"ing Knowledge

 We are here to provoke your thinking, be creative, innovative, potent, and to help young adults thrive, feel less pressure, and envision their compelling future. As summer slowly comes to a close, we chose this months article to shed light on the pressures and expectations of incoming college students, and provide insight on how you can prepare them for this transition! 

Please help young adults find their path by supporting The Sam Chase Fund with your tax deductible contribution.

Donations to the Sam Chase Fund are processed and administered by our partner, The Community Foundation of the North State. The Foundation is a 501c (3) non-profit foundation and all donations are tax deductible.

Resource: Isla Reddin

We'd love to introduce a friend of ours: Isla! She is currently offering a program to benefit mothers and their teen sons. 

Background & Experience

Isla Reddin has 15 years of experience as a professional coach guiding individuals to find their unique version of success in their personal and professional lives. 

Following 6 years of working in schools, writing curricula and training teachers to support all students as unique learners, she dove into psychology and neuroscience to further grasp the complexity of adolescence, its impact on both the young person and the parent, and be able to teach others.

She has worked with hundreds of young people on their journey through school, college, and into the workplace. Her passion for helping youth navigate the uncertain years of adolescence started with her own sons.  The boys are now adults. Isla and her family made it through but not without a lot of drama, trauma, tears, sleepless nights, confusion, and uncertainty.

Parents, and especially mothers, are the glue that holds teenagers together helping them navigate the weird, emotion fueled and often frightening changes they are experiencing.  Isla’s research and personal experiences gave her a perspective that she now wants every parent, teacher and community member to know so that “the village” can support our children as they become adults.

To learn more about Isla’s work, the programs and personalized and group coaching opportunities she has developed please reach out at isla.reddin@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who is here reading this. Please feel free to share our newsletter to whoever you would like. Our website will always have updated resources available as well as our ongoing applications available. Our emails, DM's, and numbers are always open. We appreciate all of the questions many of you have asked and we will continue to be open and honest answering! 

 Congratulations to our scholarship winners! We are so proud of you and can't wait to watch you on your next step.

Know someone who can benefit from our resources ? Have questions?

Contact Our Team

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TAKE ACTION

Explore the link on how you can join the fight in spreading awareness to the dangers of fentanyl poisoning.