Laci sent a message to Marvin R. Ellison – President of J. C. Penney Company Inc.- email address that said:
Dear Mr. Ellison
My name is Laci and I am the founder of a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Transformations Center for Healing. Transformations is a residential recovery house for women suffering from substance use disorder. We provide an individualized holistic treatment approach and we ask our residents for a 1 year commitment to our program.
We are not yet open for business and just recently secured a location. It is a small three bedroom home in Noblesville, Indiana. It is quite perfect for our grassroots organization, as I believe being a good leader often requires you to start small and build big. I have worked tirelessly to create a program that will ensure each women has a real chance at learning to live a healthy life free from addiction. I have an excellent Board of Directors that are determined to see this vision come alive and be a success.
I am passionate about Transformations vision and helping others that are in the depths of their disease because I know well the bondage of addiction. I have 11 years clean from a heroin addiction that nearly stole my life. Early in my recovery I went to college to earn my Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Social Work and I am a Licensed Social Worker, specializing in mental health and addictions. I do believe Transformations is the purpose God has called upon my life.
I’m not sure where you live, but my guess is that your state and your community has been impacted by the heroin and opiate epidemic. Sadly, I rarely speak to individuals whose communities have not been impacted. We are located in Hamilton County, Indiana. It is a wonderful community with great schools, successful economic growth, and a safe place to raise a family. My community has been devastated by this heroin and opiate epidemic and young adults are dying everyday due to overdoses. My only complaint is that we have no treatment centers or recovery homes here in Hamilton County, and very few in our state. In fact, it’s such a problem that I could have had our 10 bed home filled 3 times over just the past 2 months for all the phone calls I have received.
I do not know how informed you are on this issue or where you stand. I do believe you care about people and saving our future generations. I’m asking if you will partner with us to create a home where we can offer safety, stability, structure, and compassion to broken women. The home is in need of at least $10,000 in repairs alone and that does not include basic furnishings and supplies. We are estimating another $10,000 for furnishings, linens, cookware, and other household supplies. Would J.C. Penny be willing to invest in this program by donating the supplies or a portion of the supplies that we need in order to fulfill our vision, that every women would have the opportunity to find freedom and healing from substance use disorder?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Laci
