Addiction is an alarming and growing problem in Montreal’s Jewish community. Many who are affected do not know where to turn.
FIX is our response. The brainchild of a group of young adults, with the support and guidance of Federation CJA and CSUQ,
FIX aims to raise awareness in the community and to help those in need.
Tackling addictions is not an easy task. The road to recovery is a long and challenging process. We are determined to take action. Together, and with the help of Ometz, we can begin to break the taboo.
The mission of Combined Jewish Appeal for over 90 years has been, and remains, that every Jew is responsible for the other. In keeping with that mission, we appeal to your generosity toward this special project that is very close to our hearts. Please help us
FIX this problem.
Thank You.
FIX Committee Co-Chairs
Alexandre Abitan
Karen Aflalo
Ygal Benabou
Steve Sebag
WHAT IS FIX
- FIX is an initiative of a passionate and energetic group of volunteers whose mission is to bring to light the growing trend of addiction and risky behaviour among Jewish youth.
- The role of FIX is divided into three major components: fundraising, awareness, and strengthening Jewish Identity.
- FIX is strongly supported by professionals from both Federation CJA, CSUQ (Communauté sépharade unifiée du Québec), as well as Ometz.
- Ometz, a human services agency that offers employment, family, and immigration services to help people fulfill their potential and to secure the growth and vitality of the Montreal Jewish community.
- FIX will support an outreach program in the form of two field workers whose job will be to engage youth in their own environments, form relationships and establish trust.
- All contact will be tracked through the Ometz database, allowing the community to develop statistics for this clientele and refine the program as it goes forward.
- With FIX’s help, Ometz hopes to reach out to previously untapped pools of at-risk youth with a large menu of individualized responses:
- Individual or family therapeutic counseling services.
- Referral and access to treatment facilities
- Concrete financial and housing responses
- Assistance in finding appropriate academic or job opportunities
- Access to loans and bursaries to return to school
- Skill development workshops and courses
- Re-affirmation of Jewish identity, through Jewish community events, youth groups, synagogues and other community partners.
WHY FIX?
FIX has several meanings:
- The obvious one is the strong irony of the word: a craving for the addiction itself and the idea of conquering it. The idea that the same word can mean complete opposites is a very powerful one. It shows that help is closer than you think.
- The second one is the Jewish notion of Tikun Olam – FIXing the world. This is a central theme in Judaism and one that we hope to further by reaching out those in need in our community.
- In both French and English, FIX epitomizes the 3 objectives of our project:
- F for Force; the strength needed to fight the addiction.
- I for Identity; bringing individuals back to Jewish life and community
- X for eXistence; an existence free from dependency.
FACTS
Did you know?
- The occurrence of addiction in North American Jews is statistically identical to that of any other cultural, religious, or ethnic group.*
- On average, an addict affects 15 people in his or her immediate circle.*
- While 5% of 12 year olds report a high frequency of alcohol consumption, this figure jumps to 36% for 17 year olds.**
- Over 41% of high school students say they use drugs at least once a week.**
- 39% of these same 12 year olds had gambled in the last 12 months. That number doubles by the age of 17.***
- 70% of girls and 30% of boys with addiction have been sexually harassed.****
*JACS New York
**Alcohol and Drugs: Quebec 2002
***Gambling: Quebec 2002
****Ometz data
DOLLARS AT WORK
It costs
| $50 |
for one hour of one-on-one counseling |
| $250 |
to register one teen into an educational program |
| $1,000 |
for a complete psycho-academic assessment |
| $1,500 |
for a high school prevention program |
| $5,000 |
for individual drug, alcohol or gambling counseling with a professional therapist once a week for a year |
| |
| $10,000 |
to get a teen off the street and into a year of emergency housing with all necessities covered. |
| |
| $15,000 |
for one year of private, in-patient rehab |
REAL LIFE STORIES
Meet Michael
I’m 21 years old. My parents divorced and I dropped out of school when I was 15. My first experience with marijuana was great. It was like all my troubles disappeared. I began smoking regularly. By 17, my dad kicked me out and I was living on the streets. I was doing coke and dealing to fund my habit. One day, I overdosed in a toilet at the mall. I was lucky they found me when they did, or else I’d be dead. Ometz was called before I was released from the hospital. But, I wasn’t listening to anyone and went back on the streets. Now, I’m trying to get my life together and I’m talking to a worker at Ometz. It really helps.
Meet Myriam
I’m 22. My family is well off and caring. I was going to a good Jewish high school. I started hanging out with a group of kids that offered me drugs. I thought I’d try them out. I got hooked. When my family found out, they refused to have anything to do with me. My addiction grew and I began prostituting myself to make enough money to fund my habit. At 19, I got pregnant from one of my johns. Ometz was called and helped my parents adopt my baby. When I got out of the hospital, Ometz got me the help that I needed to sober up. I’ve been clean now 14 months, I’m working to get my life and baby back.
