To attend the Palmer Drug Abuse Program’s dignity breakfast call 361-887-8900 to make a reservation. The breakfast is free.
The Palmer Drug Abuse Program decided to bring back its annual Dignity Breakfast as a way the show the coastal community firsthand how it has changed lives for the better. The nonprofit also hopes to raise some much-needed funds to continue its work helping people overcome their addictions.
Set for 7:30 a.m. Aug. 18 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Corpus Christi, the breakfast features guest speaker Mayor Nelda Martinez, a longtime supporter of the program. The real stars of the event, however, will be the young people telling their stories of survival.
“The kids in the program will speak and give their testimony at the breakfast,” said program director Wade Fjeld. “The breakfast is a way of letting people who donate to us know how they are affecting these lives.”
Kids testifying are between the ages of 12 and 18 and a prime example of why the program needs more funds for the summer months, when Palmer offers extra programs for school-aged children.
“Summer is our most difficult time of the year,” Fjeld said. “The kids are out of school, and we need more activities.”
The center provides a place for games and crafts, one-on-one counseling and day-long retreats.
“A lot of drug addiction is generational,” Fjeld said. “We help those kids with moms or dad who are addicts, and they don’t want to do that. They come here.”
Some of the kids have flirted with drugs and alcohol, but Palmer helps pull them back from the edge. Other kids have fallen into addiction and need help crawling out, Fjeld said. The name Dignity Breakfast comes directly from the results of that struggle.
“When people are in the throws of their addiction, one of the first things they lose is their dignity and self-esteem,” Fjeld said. “I call this the Dignity Breakfast because it is a reclamation of their dignity and a reclaiming of their lives.”
Drug addiction doesn’t discriminate by race, creed, color, wealth, status or class, Fjeld continued. It can happen to anyone at anytime.
“But there is a solution,” he said. “With community support, we can save lives.”
To participate as a sponsor of the free breakfast, call 361-887-8900. The same number can be used to make a reservation to attend. All are welcome, Fjeld said. For more information, visit pdapcc.org.
