ABOUT US
The Castro family
Like so many families across this country, we have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. We lost our beloved son and brother, Jeremy, to a fentanyl overdose on April 26, 2017. He was 26 years old, and the cost of the fentanyl? Twenty Dollars.
The days following Jeremy’s passing were a blur. So many tears, questions, people, decisions. But the one thing that stood out was the number of people who confided that they too, were dealing with addiction in their family. We felt so helpless against this giant epidemic, but our loss was so profound, that we couldn’t just stand by and keep silent.
We knew then that we had to do something to battle this epidemic. Going through the difficult process of making sense of our loss, we realized that there was a deficit of entities offering support to families coping with substance abuse.
Because drug addiction is considered a taboo, many individuals and families hide their struggles from their communities, carrying the burden by themselves.
Without open and unbiased communication about this subject, our country will not find the strength to deal with the drug overdose epidemic.
Considering the importance of educating our communities about a disease that torments more than 22 million individuals in the US every day, and also the urgency to support families struggling with drug addiction, we decided to start the Jeremy Castro Foundation.
Stephanie Sandoval @ Oak Forest Recovery
“No matter how deep the darkness, we believe there is always hope. That is what we say to individuals looking for our support: You are Never Helpless, Never Hopeless.” Rose Castro
Meet The Team
Our non-profit is formed by a close-knit group of family members and friends, based in the quiet suburb of Newbury Park, California. Although our programs and initiatives are mostly focused on the Thousand Oaks region, we are always willing to help families from other parts of the country as we can.
Rebecca Castro, CEO
Rose Castro, President
OUR GOALS
"To be a dedicated resource where individuals and families struggling with addiction can find help and realize that they are never hopeless."
"To provide assistance to those in our community who are struggling with opiate/drug addiction, and are seeking their way back to sobriety"
"To combat the opiate epidemic in our community through education, resources and compassion"
"To rid the stigma of addiction, so people are free to reach out for help"
Learn more about how we achieve these goals by reading about our programs.
OUR CORE VALUES
Open-mindedness
We are a non-judgmental team, that encourages individuals to share their stories without fear or shame in a private, respectful and welcoming environment.
Resilience
We stand strong in our fight against the devastating impact of substance abuse in our community.
Integrity
We maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior and hold ourselves accountable for the quality and results of our programs and initiatives.
The Problem: The Drug Overdose Epidemic
Did you know that, on average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose?
Drug overdose deaths have a large impact on families and communities. Today it is the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States according to the CDC.
The misuse and addiction to opioids – including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl – has resulted in a national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.