Welcome to our ninth 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, and share what we are up to. You will receive these newsletters on the 27th of each month.

Our website now has a newsletter archives, please visit our website and read each tab to get a deeper understanding of all we are doing.

Giving Tuesday

November 29th, 2022

As I am sure you have all seen & heard from us, Giving Tuesday is TWO days away. We truly are so grateful for any donation as it gives us hope to know we are making a difference in the world. We are giving this our all and from the bottom of our heart, we send you a thank you for trusting us to keep going, educating, and helping this world become a better place.

The Sam Chase Memorial Fund for Giving Tuesday is a Donor Advised Fund administered by the non-profit North State Community Foundation. Contributions are tax deductible and donors will receive a receipt immediately upon making a contribution. 97.5% of funds received will be distributed to qualified organizations supporting the mission of our fund. Only 2.5% will be used to cover administrative expenses of the foundation.  

Below we will share the two ways to donate - online at the link provided or you can send checks to North State Community Fund at the address below. Donating is open now until November 29th. Checks now until the end of the year are accepted and greatly appreciated! If you are donating through our Giving Tuesday link, put the 29th on your calendar in order for SCF to be potentially nominated for various awards!

Checks payable to:

Community Foundation of the North State

1335 Arboretum Dr Ste B

Redding, CA 96003-3628

If you are interested in supporting the Sam Chase Memorial Fund, please click on the link below:

https://www.northstategives.org/SamChaseMemorialFund

Announcements

Sam Chase Fund Supports Critical New Study on Fentanyl Awareness Among Young Americans

This Fall, the Sam Chase Fund covered half the cost of a study commissioned by our partner non-profit, Song for Charlie, on young Americans’ behavior and attitude towards dangerous substances. The study, conducted by Breakwater Strategy, surveyed a nationwide sample of 1,500 young Americans, between the ages of 13 and 24. The research showed that only 40% of young Americans consider themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl and only 48% are aware that fentanyl is used to make fake pills. This lack of awareness is a critical driver of the huge increase in accidental drug deaths since 2019. 80% of accidental poisoning fatalities among this demographic in 2021 involved fentanyl, higher than any other age group. Poisoning deaths among this age group are up 57% since 2018, driven exclusively by illicit fentanyl, often pressed into fake pills made to look like legitimate pharmaceuticals. Of the 10 million counterfeit pills containing fentanyl seized in 2021, 40% contained a potentially lethal dose.

This study highlights the urgent need to increase fentanyl awareness among young Americans. These teens and young adults need truthful and reliable information about the risks in the present drug landscape. The research shows that 60% of young Americans are aware of people their age taking prescription medications off script, but less than half are aware that fentanyl is used to make fake pills. The death rates will not come down until we close this knowledge gap.

The Sam Chase Fund, Song for Charlie, and others are using this vital research to immediately inform efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl. SCF will continue our work with our partners to deliver reliable information to teens and young adults where they are, and in a relatable way.

With the abundance of fake pills, it is critical that we immediately increase awareness. The study showed that 40% of young Americans consider themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl, up from 31% in 2021. This shows that we are making progress, but too many are at risk due to lack of awareness. This will be our top priority in 2023, so look for more announcements on Sam Chase Fund efforts to arm young people with reliable information to prevent more senseless tragedies. As always, thank you for your support.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please click here: https://www.songforcharlie.org/post/song-for-charlie-youth-fentanyl-survey-fall-2022

"Chris and Courtney share our commitment to preventing other families from losing a loved one to fentanyl.  And, like Mary and me, the Chases understand that awareness is key - that many kids will make safer decisions if they are equipped with good information. Our Youth Awareness Survey tells us what kids currently know and don’t know, and that allows us to target our messaging to fill in the gaps."

"We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with the Chase family and the Sam Chase Fund. Together, we will save lives, for sure."

- Ed Ternan, president of Song For Charlie about our partnership. Ed and his wife Mary are dedicated to informing young adults, parents and educators about counterfeit pills like the one that killed their son Charlie in May 2020. 

SCF Website Resources

Fall brings major transitions for a lot of people with work, school, and more. We updated a new resource on our website to offer healthy coping strategies. The first resource we talk about is breathing techniques. Whether you struggle with anxiety, transitions, or stress, finding your breath can be one of the best ways to bring your body back to a calmer state. We will be adding to this tab monthly, so be sure to keep up with our on going coping strategies. To find these resources on our website, click below:

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. 

Merchandise

We have a few more hoodies left! We are in the cold weather season, so you can’t tell me you don’t want a new hoodie;) Go to our website and click on shop! Tag us in photos of your merch - it truly makes us so happy to see you all wearing it! 

Instagram: @samchasefund

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.

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

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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.