Are you interested in helping the children of addicted families this year? There are many opportunities during the holidays as well as year-round.

Addiction is a Family Disease

Addiction affects a person’s mind, body, and spirit. Of course, it affects the people who love them as well. Sometimes it is hard to know how a child feels about addiction. However, there are times of year that are hard for families experiencing addiction.

Children whose parents are addicted are more likely to experience abuse or neglect. Their parents are more likely to be incarcerated, and they are more likely to experience developmental delays. They are also more likely to be in foster care and grow up in poverty, which has health implications of its own.

Helping Children of Addicted People

Children whose families struggle with addiction are all around you. You may not realize it because they look and act like kids, even if they’re sad about it.

In Toledo, a Toy Drive

Toledo, Ohio, is like many parts of the Midwest when it comes to addiction. Thousands of people struggle with opioids, seeking treatment and recovery every year. Overdoses are so common that some places that serve the public, such as restaurants, keep the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone on hand, just in case. So it’s no surprise that many children in the city have parents that struggle with addiction.

This year, Project Noelle is holding a drive to help children whose parents struggle with addiction. Last year, they received 700 applications for presents for needy kids. This year, the number of children

Finding a Way to Help Closer to Home

If you’re interested in helping people who have addiction in their families, check with local women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and treatment centers to learn about their needs. Usually, there is a toy program or donation dropoff for events helping residents of treatment centers. However, things may change this year due to COVID.

Some charities will ask you to choose something from an online wish list on Amazon or Walmart. Make sure to ask for a receipt if you want to claim the donation on your taxes.

Also consider asking around on a neighborhood listserve to see if any foster parents (or grandparents) who are caring for a child of an addicted person if they need any help this year.