We inspire families and individuals to overcome the disease of
addiction by creating real, long-term solutions!
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Quote of the Month
"Be kind to yourself in the year ahead.
Remember to forgive yourself and to forgive others. It is too easy to be outraged these days, so much harder to change things, to reach out, to understand.
Try to make your time matter. Minutes and hours and weeks can blow away like dead leaves, with nothing to show but time you spent not quite ever doing things, or time you spent waiting to begin.
Meet new people and talk to them. Make new things and show them to people who might enjoy them.
Hug too much. Smile too much. And when you can, love."
-- Neil Gaiman
2014
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From the Desk of Ana Gopoian
Look Back, But Don't Stare...
When I got up one morning, two days before Christmas, I was thinking of my Grandmother Gopoian. My grandmother was an amazing woman who brought people together during the holidays and created the Christmas memories that I cherish now more than ever. Thoughts of her always make me smile.
She was the one person who believed that I was worth saving and gave me a place to live off the street (1984). It wasn’t the end of my ripping and running, but Grandma Gopoian gave me hope, and she literally saved my life!
My heart belongs to Wallingford, CT (Yalesville), and I feel fortunate to have grown up there with the many opportunities provided by my grandparents. I was pushed through the school system with unaddressed learning disabilities and what I now know to be mental health challenges. After running away from home, the craziness that was happening in and outside of the house, drug use and dropping out of school at 16, I wonder somedays how things may have been different if anyone, including myself, had the awareness and courage to ask the hard questions and address the obvious. I look back less often now, and I try not to stare. My lived experience has brought me far, a long way from those days and since then, and I have worked very hard to earn multiple degrees and certifications. I look forward, bringing more great resources to the forefront in Wallingford and across CT this coming New Year and beyond.
There are so many people affected by the disease of addiction in Wallingford and in CT; the secrets have kept so many people sick and isolated. I have repeatedly said that the shame, guilt, and isolation are just as detrimental as the disease of addiction itself,, and that fuels me to want to break the cycle. I know there are more similarities than differences….remember, people do not usually use alone, and, more times than not, the story before the story is very much the same and generations old. See More...
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Do you enjoy reading our newsletter?
Do you know someone who might also like to
receive The TriCircle Connection each month?
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The TriCircle Video Series
A video series, created exclusively for TriCircle, features our founder and Executive Director, Ana Gopoian, Ken Cairns and Fred Hayden, two parents of families affected by Substance Use Disorders and the Disease of Addiction. All of our videos can be viewed on YouTube using the link below.
We welcome you to watch:
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
THIS MEANS YOU!
“Do work that matters. Choose to participate in initiatives that will positively impact the world and
help make a difference in your community.”
― Germany Kent
Looking to get involved? Need resume worthy skills and experience? We can help each other!
We have volunteer opportunities on the following
TriCircle Advisory Boards:
Communications & Public Relations
Meets on Zoom, Mondays at 8:30 am.
Positions needed:
Vice Chair, Graphic Designer
Commitment - 2-3 hours/week
Fundraising & Events
Meetings via Zoom or in person at 6 Way Road, Middlefield,
on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm.
Positions needed: Chair, Vice Chair, Events Sub-Committee Volunteers, Graphic Designer
Commitment - 2-3 hours/week, plus our fun and exciting events
Clinical
Meets on Zoom 1st Thursday of each month
Positions needed: Secretary, Document Specialist
Commitment - 2-3 hours/week
“Immerse yourself in a cause you're passionate about.”
― Germany Kent
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January Spotlights
Meet the Newest Members
of our Hope & Support and
Hope After Loss Teams
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Paula LaJoie recently retired from a 29-year career working in finance for the American Red Cross. She now works full time as co-owner of Frieda B., LLC, a small press publisher of a children’s book series, and The Story Barn in Somers, CT, a workshop and event space where every person’s story is valued and nurtured. The Story Barn is also the location of TriCircle's Hope & Support Group meetings on the second and last Sundays of each month at 5pm. Paula serves as the co-facilitating paraprofessional for the Somers group meetings. She has two boys and resides in Ellington, CT. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and dog.
Brigitte Boisvert has had a successful career as an outside technical sales professional in the construction industry, covering 5 states. Since she lost her first born daughter at the age of 27 to an overdose, she has dedicated much of her time and energy searching for and working toward solutions to prevent and treat substance use disorder and the disease of addiction. As a result, she founded Quiet Corner Cares and Kasia’s Hope in the northeastern CT area. She and her husband are raising their granddaughter, who is now 12 years old. Her son is 24 and works as a mechanical engineer. Brigitte also serves as the co-facilitating paraprofessional for the TriCircle Hope & Support and Hope After Loss group meetings in Danielson and Putnam.
Lisa Marie Rivera LCSW, LICSW, C-SSW, C-ACYFSW
Lisa Marie is an LCSW in the State of CT and LICSW in RI and MA. She is also a Certified School Social Worker in all three states. She has clinical experience across a wide range of settings, including regular and special education settings, alternative programming for gang-affiliated and adjudicated youth, and residential programming for children with complex developmental trauma. Lisa Marie has worked with children and families for over ten (10) years supporting diverse challenges ranging from mental health issues, substance abuse, family stabilization, in-school support, child protective services, and reunification services.
Lisa Marie’s utmost priority as a clinician is to support clients by offering the tools and guidance for them to understand their place in the world, how their challenges can be overcome and redefined as teachable moments through collaboration and, at times, difficult clinical work. She believes this can be accomplished with the secondary natural consequence of identifying the valuable interconnectedness we all hold within the world around us.
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January
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Wed., Jan 5 and Wed., Jan 19 - Doors open at 5:00 pm, first game begins at 6:00 pm - Drop In Setback, 1741 Pub & Grill, Middlefield.
- Tue., Jan 11 and Thurs., Jan 27 TriCircle Memorial Quilt Square Making Sessions
May
- Sat., May 14 - Sun., May 15 - The CT Barber Expo at Mohegan Sun
Please note: Our Annual Recovery Festival is looking for a really cool venue and date for the Springtime!
October
- Sun., Oct 2 - 4th Annual TriCircle Gala Brunch
December
- Sun., Dec. 4 - TriCircle Annual Meeting
If any of our readers know of an organization, group or idea that will add strength, availability and reach to our collaborations and services, please reach out to us at [email protected].
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Setback Has Kicked Off Again
Here is an event link to our Setback games:
Join us for some raffles, prizes, food and FUN!
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THANK YOU EVERYONE!!
TheCharityChallenge.net, in partnership with the Department of Children and Families,TriCircle and Bags of Hope, once again hosted their Spread the Seeds of Change for Children Holiday Gift Drive! Thank you to all who participated. YOU helped make the holidays brighter for our local families in need! YOU helped us raise $3,710, which included a check for $425 collected and written to the family of eight, who was in need of our assistance to meet their bills and make their holiday wishes come true! YOU helped us collect over 1200 toys and dozens of gift cards to give to the local children and teens
on our lists! Together WE are Stronger!
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GOOD READS
“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
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January's Suggested Title,
Author and Book Review
To jump start a change, many of us start off the new year with a resolution, goal, word or color. As I cannot remember my 2021 word or goal, in 2022, I am throwing caution to the wind—no resolutions, goals, words or colors. Instead, I am going to take the lessons learned in the wonderful book Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues by David Bradford and Carole Robin. This thought provoking, practical book guides the reader through applicable scenarios to build relationships from superficial to meaningful. Topics include: cultivating authenticity, being vulnerable and honest, asking for and offering help, sharing a commitment to growth, and using conflict as a tool for growth in relationship. Connect is full of tools to enhance our tool kits as we navigate through 2022 and is available on Amazon (click here to order it today). This is a great opportunity to join Amazon Smile and list TriCircle as your recipient organization. Whenever you shop, Amazon gives!
Elizabeth Kirby Fullerton, PhD
(904) 309-3906
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CLINICAL SERVICES
Are Now Available
TriCircle strives to offer Clinical Services that meet the individual needs of those who choose to take advantage of these opportunities to enhance their journey toward healing. We are accepting new clients. Our master’s level clinicians offer a range of evidence-based programs, giving clients and their families the opportunity to grow, change and maintain long-term recovery.
Michael Black, MA, LADC, LPC-A
joins our Clinical Team!
Michael is also a facilitator of our Hope After Loss Support Group in Berlin, a member of our Board of Directors and now a clinician for our Clinical Services. He is a true TriCircle Champion! We are grateful for his
dedication and expertise.
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Click here to learn more about our Clinical Services or call
(860) 349-7074 to set up an intake.
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Engage in Self Care!
All Meetings Are Now In Person With a Virtual Option
TriCircle's Hope & Support and Hope After Loss Group meetings
are now available in the following CT towns: Berlin, Danielson,
Middlefield, Southington, Wallingford,
Putnam and Somers.
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WANT TO HELP?
DO ALL YOUR SHOPPING ON
AMAZON SMILE!
It is so easy! First, be sure to sign up on Amazon Smile and choose
TriCircle, Inc. as your recipient organization. Do all your shopping online! Then, every single time you make a purchase from the Smile.Amazon site, a percentage will be donated to us! It doesn’t cost you a thing!
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TriCircle and consider a donation today!
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Click the images below or scan the QR code to find out how!
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TriCircle has earned the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency. |
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