Addiction is a medical condition, a brain disorder that is responsive to treatment, yet 90% of those who suffer from this disease are not treated. Why? Stigma. Due to the stigma of drug addiction substance use disorder (SUD), long-held stereotypes and negative media depictions persist of “addicts” and “junkies.” Individuals with SUD are dismissed as not worthy of treatment. As a result, every 10 minutes another person is lost. In the United States in 2021, an estimated 107,622 people died from overdose or drug poisoning, most of them in their 20’s and 30’s. At a prime time in life when they could be offering fresh ideas, skills, and talents to the workforce and society, they are lost to a treatable disease.
The INTO LIGHT Project is working hard to change the conversation about drug addiction. The first step is to educate the public as well as health care providers, law enforcement, and others. SUD is not a moral failing. Shame and stigma around this disease must be erased so those who need the help can get it. Through the power of art and storytelling, we are giving communities across the county an opportunity to freely have a dialog about addiction, its power over the brain, and how they can help.
In each state in the county, The INTO LIGHT Project is presenting public exhibitions of hand-drawn portraits and narratives of 41 people in that state who have died from drug use. The exhibition shows each individual as they were in life. Yes, they had a substance use disorder, that was one part of them. They also had close friends and families, children, loved ones, and jobs. Their contributions, talents, and skills were unique and valued. They were people just like us!
Through the educational opportunities attached to this exhibit, Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibition shines a spotlight on the reality of those with SUD to eradicate the stigma and shame, not only on those with SUD but also on their families. The INTO LIGHT Project invites university, high school, and middle school students, EMS teams, health care providers, faith leaders, law enforcement, first responders, and others to interact with the exhibit. It provides a context for this insidious disease and those who have it. It elicits understanding, provokes conversations, and ultimately a commitment to help stop the stigma and shame of drug addiction. Once SUD is understood for the disease it is, recovery can begin.
With each successive Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibit, we are growing and becoming known for producing measurable inroads in eradicating negative stereotypes and promoting education about SUD. Each Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibition attracts thousands of viewers. Stories about the project have been published in local newspapers and social media and aired on radio and every major television network. The project has been featured on PBS’s Growing Bolder, through their national radio, newspaper, television, and blog platforms, and is endorsed by Dr. Nora Volkow, the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Join the conversation through your sponsorship of INTO LIGHT Project.
| Level | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
|
EXHIBITION PATRON |
$50,000 |
This level of support pays for an entire exhibit to be brought to your state.
• Company name and logo on all exhibition materials, including exhibition catalog • Feature in newspaper and radio advertising for the exhibition • Company name in all media releases Listed on all social media promotions (FB, Twitter, Instagram) • Opportunity for sponsor to speak at opening reception • Invitation to Family Gifting Gathering Company name and logo on website for sponsored exhibition • Opportunity to utilize the INTO LIGHT Project exhibition to design and present drug education programs. |
|
ART AND STORYTELLING SPONSOR |
$25,000 |
This level of support underwrites the work of the artists and writers involved in the exhibition.
• Theresa Clower drawing a portrait • Theresa Clower sketching a portrait Company name and logo on all exhibition materials • Company name in all media releases • Company name and logo in exhibition catalog • Company name and logo on website for sponsored exhibition • Featured in newspaper and radio advertising for the sponsored exhibition |
|
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING SPONSOR |
$10,000 |
This level of support provides educational programming throughout the length of the exhibition. • Inclusion of logo on all exhibition materials • Company name in all media releases Company name and logo in exhibition catalog • Listed on all social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram) • Name and logo on all educational materials created for the sponsored exhibit |
|
OPENING RECEPTION SPONSOR |
$5,000 |
This level of support sponsors the opening reception for the exhibition which includes local stakeholders, local politicians, and families of those in the exhibition. • People attending the INTO LIGHT exhibit in Maryland • Inclusion of logo on all exhibition materials • Company name in all media releases • Company name and logo in exhibition catalog • Listed on all social media promotions • Opportunity to speak at the opening reception |
|
CATALOG SPONSOR |
$2500 |
This level of sponsorship pays for the perfect-bound exhibition catalog that includes the portraits and narratives of everyone in the state exhibit. One catalog is gifted to each family at the Gifting Gathering and available for purchase throughout the exhibition. Inclusion of logo on all exhibition materials • Company name in all media releases • Company name and logo in exhibition catalog • Listed on all social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram) • Five catalogs gifted to sponsors in this category |
|
FRIEND |
$1,000 |
• Name listed in exhibition catalog |
