This year, summertime will take on an extra special meaning for Michael Morris. Last year Michael was battling opioid addiction while attending sessions conducted by the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at the Community Renewal Team (CRT) in Hartford. Michael’s personal commitment and his willingness to confront his addiction head-on as he began the path to recovery would be different this time. It was a close call, however.
Michael, age 65, entered into the program in May of 2019, but was privately still using drugs and not ready to disclose this fact to the people who were trying to help him. While beginning Suboxone treatment to address his opioid addiction, he had a severe reaction to the medication. He became very sick and experienced withdrawal symptoms. Fortunately, the team at CRT recognized what was happening and were able to get Michael to the hospital in time to save his life. Michael spent four days in a local hospital, and thankfully he was able to make a full recovery.
He has been taking Suboxone for more than one year now (since May 29, 2019), and he is clean and sober.
Michael will be the first to admit that in the past he may have undermined his own recovery efforts. For instance, he might stop using drugs, but he would keep drinking alcohol. Now, he says that he has no plan to go back to using drugs or alcohol and lives a life of recovery.
“I realized this dope is killing me,” Michael said. “But I have not had any urges since May 29 of last year – no alcohol, wine or whiskey, nothing. I’ve been clean before, but I was still drinking, but now I have total sobriety.”
Michael grew up in Hartford, and he admits that he started using drugs at an early age. He was only 13 years old when the drug use began. As he said, “It was part of the thing to do growing up.”
Because of that drug use, he was in and out of prison for most of his life. He actually met his wife June when he was a teenager; and he was officially the second person in the state of Connecticut to be married while in prison. They were married back in 1977 and he is still married to June to this day.
Over the years they had seven children. One son was shot and killed during an attempted robbery back in 2005.
Today Michael lives in Bloomfield, and in addition to his wife and grown children, he has 23 grandchildren, and he is extremely proud of each and every one of them. His oldest granddaughter is 21 and she is training in the Air Force. Another granddaughter is currently a sophomore at Virginia State College.
Michael continues to work with CRT every week for counseling and to continue his treatment with the MAT program.
“When I first started, I felt I was forced to do it,” Michael said. “But once I was in the group, and realized where my life was at, I realized I was tired of the life I was living, tired of being high. Being in the meetings, and seeing people’s lives change made a real difference. The program with CRT saved my life.”
Michael is well known on the streets of Hartford, and recently he has been volunteering time with a local community organization passing out food to people in need and talking to people he meets, making sure they are safe.
“Being engaged helping people helps me, too,” Michael said. “I talk to a lot of guys, talk to them about going into a program.”
His advice today?
“Get around someone living the life you want to live,” he said. “They have advice to give, and are willing to give it. Talking to people helps me – I don’t want to let them down – it really motivates me to do more!”
Michael is extremely proud of the changes he has been able to make in his own life. Now he’s ready to give back to others who need that help, too.
POW 5 Embracing your power as a woman!
Join us to learn how to confidently move forward in life and business at this FREE 7 Week Virtual Series – meets weekly starting on October 8, 2020. This event is for women who are ready to embrace their POWER OF WOMEN. Five subjects matter experts will show you how to master five areas in your life to Unleash your women power.
Registration required.
Schedule:
10/15 – Essential Self-Care for Your Life Design
10/22 – Turning Chaos into Clarity
10/29 – Embracing Your Style
11/05 – Get Aligned with Your Goals
11/12 – Your Empowered Voice
11/19 – Closing Celebration
Speakers:
Kristi Sullivan
Self-Care Queen, Author, and Yoga Instructor
Kristi is on a mission to help busy women give themselves permission to make self care a priority by curating daily essential rituals to fit their life design.
Maryann Cruz
Business Strategist & Coach, Co-Founder of C3 Collab.
Maryann works with creatives and passionate entrepreneurs gain clarity and momentum in business through strategies, action plans, and accountability.
Mary Carangelo
Fashion Therapist
Mary helps women rediscover their beauty and confidence by dressing in a way that captures their true style.
Prati Kaufman
Marketing Energy Coach
Prati empowers entrepreneurs to experience REAL FREEDOM in their life and business by tuning and aligning their energetic vibrations to their highest potential.
Pamela Mulhearn
Founder of Her Podium
Pam believes every woman should feel comfortable and strong in her voice so that she can share her strengths and gifts with the world.
Deadline to Complete 2020 U.S. Census Now October 31 – Extra Time Will Help in Hartford
NewsJason Black from CRT spoke with reporter Brenda León from Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) this week about the benefits of additional time to complete the 2020 U.S. Census this month.
And while the enumeration rate for the Census in Connecticut is 99.9%, the self-response rate in Hartford is not nearly as good, and continues to be below 50%. (Reported by the U.S. Census Bureau as 48.9% as of Oct. 7.)
An inaccurate count (i.e., if the count is low or incomplete) could affect funding decisions by the federal government for the next 10 years, which will then impact people statewide in Connecticut, with the potential to cut budgets for programs that we all rely on, like SNAP benefits, energy assistance, health care, education and much more.
Check out the full story on the Connecticut Public Radio website.
The new deadline to complete the 2020 Census is October 31, 2020. If you have not yet completed the Census, please take five minutes to do it now! Start here.
Happy National Voter Registration Day! Make Sure You Register to Vote Now
NewsCRT Excited to Learn There May Be An Extra Month to Complete the 2020 Census, on NBC CT
NewsHelp CRT Make the Longest Drive – Sign Up for 19th Annual Meals on Wheels Golf Classic
NewsCRT’s Financial Literacy Institute Gives Adults Support with Money Matters
NewsCRT’s annual Financial Literacy Institute which provides adults with the opportunity to take charge of their own financial futures, was recently featured on NBC Connecticut. Take a look at the full story now.
Financial Literacy Focus: Push to Teach Money Matters in Schools
CRT Renaming Women’s Empowerment Center in Honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
NewsFollowing the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Community Renewal Team (CRT) announced that to memorialize Ginsburg’s lifetime of service to our nation, and her fierce commitment to protecting the rights of women throughout her legal and judicial career, it is officially renaming its Women’s Empowerment Center in Hartford in her honor.
The Center, which serves the needs of women throughout Central Connecticut, will be renamed the “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women’s Empowerment Center.” Get more details in this report from Ann Nyberg at WTNH News 8.
To Honor Her Legacy and Lifetime Commitment to Women, CRT to Rename Women’s Empowerment Center for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Press ReleaseHartford – This week, as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at the Supreme Court and then at the United States Capitol, the Community Renewal Team (CRT) announced today that to memorialize Ginsburg’s lifetime of service to our nation, and her fierce commitment to protecting the rights of women throughout her legal and judicial career, it is officially renaming its Women’s Empowerment Center in Hartford in her honor.
The Center, which serves the needs of women throughout Central Connecticut, will be renamed the “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women’s Empowerment Center.”
“The passing of Justice Ginsburg came as a shock to all of us this past weekend. We know that her lifetime of work has created lasting and critical changes to the law that benefit women nationwide, and we can think of no better way to honor her legacy than to ensure that her memory lives on in the work of CRT’s Women’s Empowerment Center in Hartford,” said CRT’s President and CEO Lena Rodriguez.
“We are grateful that Ginsburg’s work and her legal opinions in support of women will be felt for decades to come, and we know that all women in our community today – especially the next generation that is coming of age now – are better off because of her work on behalf of all of us.”
Known as an advocate for women, Justice Ginsburg’s dedication to the disempowered extended still further. She wrote, “Whatever community organization, whether it’s a women’s organization or fighting for racial justice…you will get satisfaction out of doing something to give back to the community that you never get in any other way.” As the oldest community action agency in the state, we could not have said it better.
A formal renaming ceremony at CRT’s Women’s Empowerment Center in Hartford to celebrate the legacy of Justice Ginsburg and her lifetime of work will be held in the coming weeks – exact date to be announced soon.
About CRT’s Women’s Empowerment Center:
The Community Renewal Team (CRT) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community action agency and Connecticut’s largest human service agency. Since 1964, CRT has been fulfilling its mission of “Preparing Our Community to Meet Life’s Challenges” by providing more than 60 programs and services designed to positively impact the lives of individuals and families from the City of Hartford and the 40 surrounding towns. As it has for decades, CRT continues to help tens of thousands of people each year; and the data demonstrates that the organization continues to reach Connecticut’s most vulnerable, low-income population.
Historically, more than half of the clients CRT serves have been female. For many of them, the services they received are a true lifeline. In keeping with Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s lifelong goal of uplifting all U.S. residents regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, economics and sexual preference, CRT inaugurated its Women’s Empowerment Center (WEC) in 2019. It is the Center’s objective to give women, including the most vulnerable in the Greater Hartford area, access to the opportunities through which they can benefit themselves and their families. In addition to counseling and case management, the WEC offers introductions to different occupational fields and educational programs, workshops on job exploration, even access to mentorships with some of the region’s most successful women. It provides a vision for women who may not have seen their varied (albeit hard-won) options before entering the Center’s doors.
The WEC meets a critical regional need. Over 60% of households in the capital city are headed by a single parent, most of whom are single mothers or grandmothers. Nearly one-third (31.6%) of women In the City of Hartford live in poverty. CRT has a history of offering female-centric initiatives (e.g., helping women gain employment skills, leave abusive circumstances, decrease substance use and recidivism, and enabling grandparents, particularly grandmothers, to raise their grandchildren). Our Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women’s Empowerment Center is the culmination of these effort.
The Center at 330 Market Street, Hartford, is easily accessible via public transportation, and includes space for workshops, private rooms for case management and one-on-one counseling, socialization space and a children’s play area.
For more information about this advisory, please contact: Jason Black, Communications Director @ 860-230-4535.
Summertime Takes on New Meaning for Michael Morris This Year
News, Success StoriesThis year, summertime will take on an extra special meaning for Michael Morris. Last year Michael was battling opioid addiction while attending sessions conducted by the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at the Community Renewal Team (CRT) in Hartford. Michael’s personal commitment and his willingness to confront his addiction head-on as he began the path to recovery would be different this time. It was a close call, however.
Michael, age 65, entered into the program in May of 2019, but was privately still using drugs and not ready to disclose this fact to the people who were trying to help him. While beginning Suboxone treatment to address his opioid addiction, he had a severe reaction to the medication. He became very sick and experienced withdrawal symptoms. Fortunately, the team at CRT recognized what was happening and were able to get Michael to the hospital in time to save his life. Michael spent four days in a local hospital, and thankfully he was able to make a full recovery.
He has been taking Suboxone for more than one year now (since May 29, 2019), and he is clean and sober.
Michael will be the first to admit that in the past he may have undermined his own recovery efforts. For instance, he might stop using drugs, but he would keep drinking alcohol. Now, he says that he has no plan to go back to using drugs or alcohol and lives a life of recovery.
“I realized this dope is killing me,” Michael said. “But I have not had any urges since May 29 of last year – no alcohol, wine or whiskey, nothing. I’ve been clean before, but I was still drinking, but now I have total sobriety.”
Michael grew up in Hartford, and he admits that he started using drugs at an early age. He was only 13 years old when the drug use began. As he said, “It was part of the thing to do growing up.”
Because of that drug use, he was in and out of prison for most of his life. He actually met his wife June when he was a teenager; and he was officially the second person in the state of Connecticut to be married while in prison. They were married back in 1977 and he is still married to June to this day.
Over the years they had seven children. One son was shot and killed during an attempted robbery back in 2005.
Today Michael lives in Bloomfield, and in addition to his wife and grown children, he has 23 grandchildren, and he is extremely proud of each and every one of them. His oldest granddaughter is 21 and she is training in the Air Force. Another granddaughter is currently a sophomore at Virginia State College.
Michael continues to work with CRT every week for counseling and to continue his treatment with the MAT program.
“When I first started, I felt I was forced to do it,” Michael said. “But once I was in the group, and realized where my life was at, I realized I was tired of the life I was living, tired of being high. Being in the meetings, and seeing people’s lives change made a real difference. The program with CRT saved my life.”
Michael is well known on the streets of Hartford, and recently he has been volunteering time with a local community organization passing out food to people in need and talking to people he meets, making sure they are safe.
“Being engaged helping people helps me, too,” Michael said. “I talk to a lot of guys, talk to them about going into a program.”
His advice today?
“Get around someone living the life you want to live,” he said. “They have advice to give, and are willing to give it. Talking to people helps me – I don’t want to let them down – it really motivates me to do more!”
Michael is extremely proud of the changes he has been able to make in his own life. Now he’s ready to give back to others who need that help, too.
CRT Awarded $1.2 million by U.S. Department of Labor in Support of YouthBuild Job-Training Program
Press ReleaseMulti-year program will provide 67 at-risk teens and young adults from Hartford and East Hartford with valuable job skills and training to prepare them for future careers
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jason Black, Communications Director
(860) 560-5683 or cell: (860) 230-4535
HARTFORD — The Community Renewal Team (CRT) was recently awarded $1,202,143 by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide 67 at-risk teens and young adults (ages 18 – 24) from Hartford and East Hartford the opportunity to improve their education, occupational skills, employment credentials, and leadership capabilities over the next three years. Participants that
complete the YouthBuild training program should experience a substantial increase in their standard of living and community engagement.
“The YouthBuild program offers a unique opportunity for young men and women to get hands- on training in construction and other highly desirable job skills that will fully prepare them to enter the modern workforce ready to succeed,” said CRT’s President and CEO Lena Rodriguez. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this important job-training program to young people in our
community,” said Fernando Betancourt, Chairman of CRT’s Board of Trustees. “There are so many obstacles to success these days, but we know that YouthBuild participants can complete this program armed with new skills that will lead to long-term career opportunities.”
CRT will offer a “Construction Plus” training program to the participants that is modeled after our multiple successful Capital City YouthBuild projects that we have run previously. CRT guarantees that 32 students will be enrolled and complete construction skills training during the more than three year grant period of performance.
The Construction Plus training will also include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training for 20 students through Capital Community College; and a selection of certified classes and on-the-job training for 15 students through Goodwin College.
CRT has selected Construction Plus fields of Security Guard Certification, Phlebotomy and Laboratory Services, Medical Assistant, and Machining/Manufacturing Technology.
“YouthBuild enhances the lives of its students and the community as a whole,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. “The Community Renewal Team has been a positive influence on Connecticut families for years and grants like these go a long way to keep formal training and mentorship programs going. I commend their work, and will continue to fight in Washington for federal dollars to continue efforts to better the lives of the young people of Connecticut.”
“Giving young people skills to compete in high-demand industries like construction, nursing, manufacturing, and medical research is exactly the kind of workforce development we need to do more of,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. “I want to thank the U.S. Department of Labor and the Community Renewal Team for this new partnership.”
“As one of the people who helped to start the first YouthBuild program in Hartford, it gives me great pride to know that CRT is continuing the vital work of this job-training program for disadvantaged youth in Hartford and East Hartford,” said Martin Alvarenga, Business Agent & Organizer with the Carpenters Local 326 in Connecticut, and new member of CRT’s Board of
Trustees. “The young men and women who go through this training will come out with serious skills that will take them far in life.”
Individuals that are interested in joining the YouthBuild program in Hartford should contact CRT right away at 860-560-5308, or via email: [email protected].
Community Renewal Team, Inc. is the designated Community Action Agency for Middlesex and Hartford Counties and is the largest non-profit provider of human services in Connecticut. The agency’s mission is Preparing Our Community to Meet Life’s Challenges. The mission is achieved each day by helping people and families become self-sufficient while making sure basic needs are met. CRT’s programs include Meals on Wheels, school readiness, energy assistance and weatherization, supportive housing and shelters, and many others, serving people in more than 60 cities and towns in both our core catchment area and throughout Connecticut. www.crtct.org