Together Leaders Can "End the Stigma" A Campaign Success StoryI am honored to be the Captain and Press Secretary of the 5th virtual leadership class of Ascension Leadership Academy. Myself and 18 other amazing individuals have created a large-scale community service project to support a national non-profit organization. After reviewing options, the team and I chose Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States.My 2021 class has chosen to support Shatterproof and we have set out to raise $60,000 in 21-days. My personal commitment is to raise $13,500. The clock started on Sunday, October 18, 2021. Our “End the Stigma” awareness campaign runs until November 4, 2021. This will be a video campaign of us doing social media videos on ways to talk about addiction in a supportive way and calling on others to take the pledge to do the same.I'm honored that this VT5 2021 class will also host a celebration event to support those struggling with addiction.Addiction kills more people every year in the U.S. than breast cancer, gun violence, and car accidents combined. Only 1-in-10 people who need treatment ever receive it, and is typically not quality, evidence-based treatment. Addiction is the only illness that is criminalized, costing our country $740B a year. Those who struggle with addiction face crippling stigma, too rarely receive high-quality care, and suffer inequitable rates of incarceration.My team and I stand to transform lives by partnering with Shatterproof. This 501c3 non-profit is a visionary organization dedicated to revolutionizing addiction treatment, ending the stigma of addiction, and empowering & educating communities around this disease.Each member of this team has been either personally affected, has a loved one who is or has been affected by a substance use disorder so that fact that Shatterproof is currently the leading addiction advocate on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures; and are effecting change from California to New York. We the leaders of VT5, also knows as the Unified Visioneers are committed to creating LOVE, FREEDOM & CONNECTION in ourselves, in our community and in the world!The founder & CEO of Shatterproof said, “The transformational work that Ascension Leadership Academy is doing while supporting non-profits comes at a critical time given we are entering the holiday season which can further trigger unjust shame and stigma to those affected by this health crisis. We are grateful to these amazing leaders for stepping up and sharing this life-saving work to make systemic change of how people talk, treat and recover from addiction. What they are doing in such a short amount of time is nothing short of astounding."To show your support please donate via my personal community service project donor page: https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/3542295Each individual is just one piece of the macro. You and I have the power to be a part of the solutions for our world.