The Kent County-Grand Rapids FAN chapter launched in February of 2017. Several years earlier, they were alarmed by the increasing number of news reports on the opioid crisis. In 2015, they began contacting community leaders and partnering agencies in Grand Rapids and Kent County, inviting them to come to the table and open up the dialogue about this deadly disease ravaging our community. 

The Board and Advisory Board members are working volunteers, passionate about making a difference and committed to providing quality service programming with integrity.

Our monthly Family Forums offer education, resources, and support for those facing the challenges of addiction. We don’t have the answers, but we are creating healthy conversations offering hope, and searching for solutions. For those experiencing the grief of a loved one lost to addiction, we offer comfort; for those facing incarceration, we advocate for the provision of medical treatment of this disease while in the system; and for those needing other supportive resources, we collaborate in the community in creating them. 

​We know that all sectors involved must work together in collaboration in finding solutions that will be meaningful. 

​There is a sense of urgency with this crisis, termed “the worst man-made epidemic in the history of mankind” by the CDC. We lose more lives nationally each year than we lost in a ten-year period of the Vietnam War. Opioid overdose deaths now surpass preventable deaths of any other cause, including car accidents and guns. Kent County has not been spared, and in 2017-18 was identified as one of the top five worst hit counties in the state. 

​Our membership includes those from law enforcement, the judicial system, health professionals, education, community advocates, family members, those in recovery, and those considering recovery. We offer Real Stories from Real People in our ongoing efforts for education, treatment, and support. We strive to erase the stigma of addiction through education, stressing that addiction is a medical disease and not simply a moral failing, so that those needing treatment can receive it without shame or embarrassment.

​We invite you to join us at our monthly Family Forums to learn more.