Thanks to our meeting speakers Lili C Reitz, Esq. and Rob Graessle, DO, for discussing Fund The Climb Foundation. The mission of Fund The Climb Foundation is to remove barriers that stand in the way of patients seeking treatment for the brain disease of addiction. Lili C Reitz, Esq., a licensed attorney and executive director of Fund The Climb Foundation. She worked at the Attorney General’s Office for 5 years, and as an agency director for the state of Ohio for 20 years. Ms. Reitz served as the compliance officer for an addiction treatment facility prior to her current position.
Rob Graessle, DO, an emergency medicine physician. He worked in the ER at Grant Medical Center for 10 years, seeing the impact of the opioid epidemic. As a result, he left Grant and in August of 2020, opened Basecamp Recovery Center, an addiction treatment center in Franklinton, on the near west side of downtown Columbus.
We were also reminded of the flurry of volunteer and giving opportunities with Dublin AM Rotary this holiday season. Please see the sign up for Red Kettle Bell Ringing in support of Salvation Army. We will pass-the-hat again next week to collect donations for our holiday adopt-a-family efforts supporting clients of Salvation Army and Syntero.
Video Recording of this meeting and other meetings is on our YouTube Channel.
A letter to our members from Fund the Climb:
Thank you for the opportunity to share the work we are doing to help patients who seek treatment for the disease of addiction. These are the people who are often overlooked in our community. They are suffering from a brain disease that has taken over their lives, and when they take the brave step to ask for help, we at Fund The Climb Foundation want to give them the best opportunity to succeed. We do this by removing the barriers they face, such as the lack of safe, sober housing, lack of transportation, food insecurity and personal hygiene needs.
Our Peaceful Living United + Sober (PLUS) Housing Program provides beds to the most vulnerable patients in the early stages of treatment. We provide transportation and bus passes to patients in need. We provide lunch, food bags and Kroger gift cards to hungry patients. We provide care packages to patients who have personal hygiene needs. When these basic needs are addressed, the patients can focus on the treatment they need that will save their lives. In time, and with hard work and support, they can rejoin our community and their families hopeful and healthy, and with the tools they need to lead transformed and productive lives.
We cannot do all this without support. Every donation is used to remove the barriers patients face when seeking help from this deadly disease. We have a fundraising page that gives you the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of those wishing to break the cycle of addiction and enter treatment.
Here is the link:
You can also text FUNDTHECLIMB to 44-321
Thank you again for the opportunity to attend your December meeting, and for your support! We look forward to working together in the future!
Sincerely,
FUND THE CLIMB FOUNDATION
LILI C. REITZ, Esq,
Executive Director
*************************************************