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Foundation founder builds unique support system from his battle with heroin addiction · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Foundation founder builds unique support system from his battle with
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  heroin addiction. Written by Bill Frescoes, this article is being
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  read by an automated voice brought to you by Everlett
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  for The Perfectly Flawed Foundation's founder Luke Tomsha. Helping those
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  fighting drug addictions starts with two key ideas, stigma kills
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  and to meet people where they are. Shaped by his
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  own experience battling a heroin addiction, Tomsha has built a
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  support system for those shaped by his own experience. Based
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  in downtown LaSalle, the nonprofit leads regional efforts in substance
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  use prevention and recovery. Support from its mobile wellness unit
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  to a new machine that tests street drugs chemical makeup,
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  the foundation is changing how communities approach addiction. He struggled
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  with heroin use for more than a decade, a period
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  he said exposed him to support system that often failed.
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  Traditional treatment demands abstinence from the start. It's to stop
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  using drugs and alcohol and then we'll help you to
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  me that's backward. During that time, tom Sha said he
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  often found himself in environments that felt restrictive or judgmental
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  rather than supportive. Recovery spaces can be very exclusionary. He said,
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  there was never a space for people who didn't fit
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  that all or nothing model. People are afraid to seek
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  help because of how they're treated, and I saw that firsthand.
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  Tom Sha said his experience gave him a unique perspective,
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  allowing him to rethink traditional approaches to recovery. After he
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  stopped using heroin in twenty fifteen, he began sharing his
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  story publicly, first through writing about his experiences, then by
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  raising money to help others access alternative forms of support.
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  I started this work and came forward with my story
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  to reduce stigma, tom Sha said. I wanted to be
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  a part of creating an environment where people feel comfortable
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  coming forward with their struggles. This approach involves two concepts,
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  stigma kills and meeting people where they are through programs
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  such as mobile outreach and harm reduction services. Perfectly Flawed
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  works to ensure people have access to basic resources and
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  support regardless of their situation. There can be a lot
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  of weight in this work, he said. You're dealing with
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  a lot of sadness, but you also know you're in
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  a position to make a difference. Despite those challenges, tom
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  Sha said his focus remains on helping people find stability
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  and purpose in life. I think it's about helping shift
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  people's mindset, he said. We all have strengths. It's about
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  finding what brings you joy and pursuing that. Looking ahead,
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  tom Sha said he hopes to continue expanding education and
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  awareness efforts, particularly around addiction and public policy. There's so
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  much misinformation out there, he said. If we can educate
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  people and change perspectives, we can make a real impact.
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  H