We can help those that are struggling to help themselves.

Join me in supporting real change. Let’s grow good in the world and make a difference, TOGETHER. We donate, and Herren Project does the work, every single day.

Raise your hand if you, or someone you love, has been impacted by addiction. If you're struggling with addiction or you know someone who is, you are not alone.

I have a close family member who struggles with alcoholism and sobriety has not come easy these last few years. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global presence of anxiety and depression increased by a whopping 25% (per the World Health Organization). Alcohol consumption skyrocketed as everyone was forced to stay at home and social media seemed to support the idea of "day drinking" as a way to cope with the pandemic. But research shows that alcohol consumption and misuse increases when people experience periods of economic or psychological stress, leading to alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.

A study done by Mass General Hospital in December 2021 found that "a one year increase in alcohol consumption in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to cause 8,000 additional deaths from alcohol-related liver disease, 18,700 cases of liver failure and 1,000 cases of liver cancer by 2040."

I have had periods of sobriety during my adult life - during my pregnancies and while I was training for marathons. So when I began training in the fall of 2019 for the 2020 Boston Marathon, I eliminated alcohol. I was 4 months into training when the pandemic reached the US and the marathon was rescheduled (eventually becoming a virtual race) and I chose to continue with my sobriety as my training cycle got longer and longer :) Eventually, I realized that I didn't want to drink anymore - that it wasn't a healthy way of life for me. I made that life choice because I wanted to break the cycle and show my children that it is possible to live a happy and healthy life alcohol free.

I am honored to be a member of Herren Project's Berlin Marathon team. Just a small donation will go a long way to helping me meet my goal for HERREN PROJECT. Your tax-deductible donation will directly help individuals and families through treatment placement assistance, recovery scholarships and family support services.

Thank you for all of your support! With Love, Erin