Pub. 16 2017-2018 Issue 4

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 1 , 2 0 1 8 12 new jersey auto retailer A Q & A With P.I.C.K. Awareness Founder & CEO Donna DeStefano What is P.I.C.K. Awareness? Parents In Connection for Kids Inc. (P.I.C.KAwareness) helps fami- lies navigate the waters of prevention, treatment and recovery. We are a non-profit agency dedicated to reducing heroin overdoses and substance use disorders. Everyone is relevant in our community. We want to break the stigma of addiction, encourage the public to reach out for help, inform them, advocate for them and offer resources to prevent the early onset of addiction. I am a Special State Officer on the Governor’s Council on Alco- holism and Drug Abuse (GCADA), where I represent parents and families. We work with coalitions, alliances and Student Assistant Counselors to reduce the risk of addiction. We collaborate with State, federal and local constituents, including law enforcement and medical professionals, to bring free presentations on the most current drug trends to our communities. P.I.C.K. worked with the Governor’s office onmultiple projects, in- cluding the“BeaFace,Continue theConversation”video.Weare fea- turedontheReachNJwebsiteandwe’vespokenattheGovernor’sVigil. How did the organization come about? Because of a substance use disorder with one of my daughters, I created P.I.C.K. Awareness as a vehicle to help families who are struggling with these issues. Having someone you love deal with an addiction can throw your whole family off balance. YOUARE IN FOR THE FIGHT OF YOUR LIVES! We had to learn how to cope and find solutions. As I researched and reached out for help I realized that trying to save her life, learning about addiction and brain chemistry, finding treatment options while keeping the rest of my family well was a big undertaking. I wanted to make it easier for other families who were, like me, looking for answers. I created a Facebook page, then a website and other social media outlets to bring updated information across the board. NJ CAR NextGen Committee Members Robert Larson (Larson Ford, Inc.), Thomas DeFelice, III (Circle BMW), Richard DeSilva, Jr. (Liberty Hyundai) and Josh Kalafer (Land Rover Princeton), with Donna DeStefano (P.I.C.K. Awareness).