Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment
20/20 Parenting. Recognizing and mitigating early vulnerabilities and risk factors.
Kerry’s Journal
Reflections, Experiences, Shared Vision
I invite you to respond to the topics that I bring up here and anywhere else on this site. 20/20 Parenting is your sounding board, shoulder, soap box! Let us all know how you feel, what you think, what resources you've discovered. Your input is valuable and appreciated! Simply send me an email and I will post your letter on our Letters to Kerry page, and consider your resource recommendations for our link pages.
September 14, 2007
I’m about to break two ‘rules’: “don’t disclose personal financial matters”; “always speak of financial success in business”. I realize this is risky but so is staying silent to the future of 20/20 Parenting and all that it could do for others. So I’ll stick my neck out… again.
This summer has brought many mixed feelings due to impending new beginnings precipitated by the sale of a family home, left to us by my late brother. After inhabiting and caretaking it for 7.5 years then selling it to a developer I’m experiencing the sadness of letting go along with the anticipation of some changes for the better.
Here’s the situation I’m now in with 20/20P:
The 2020Parenting.com site, as you see it today, went online May 2005, upgraded from its earlier basic design of one year and predated with one year of planning. That adds up to a little over four years of very hard, though personally and socially rewarding work, in addition to my work with Kerry Jackson Graphic Design. The latter is the bread and butter business that has partly supported both myself and 20/20P development, along with lessor amounts from speaking engagements, a private donor, and a small inheritance.
Though I do love the creative aspect of graphic design, and have some wonderful clients, my deepest passion has been in developing 20/20 Parenting to assist parents and communities in raising children to become drug-free teens. Unfortunately, this greater focus has been to the detriment of my graphics business. I confess I’ve allowed it to coast too long and attrition has caught up with me.
I’ve been forced to take a hard look at the financial realities of lower graphic design revenues, increasing living/office expenses, and increasing competition from low-cost online graphic designers from other countries ie: India and China… I now find myself at a crossroad. Somehow income must increase substantially.
There are no easy solutions though there are a few options outside of 20/20P I am currently exploring.
As for 20/20P, I have some hope for funding and volunteer support through my chief marketing advisor, David Hutchison of The Idea Zone Advertising Ltd. Several months ago I designed and developed his website “Children @ Risk”, a monthly newsletter that includes a letter from David, a Success Story, and a list of organizations that care for children at risk, 20/20 Parenting included. Last month I was interviewed for this month’s Success Story, despite my not feeling very “successful” financially.
This article may help some of you understand the challenges grass roots organizations have with becoming established given a lack of start-up capital for core and project funding. With the help of Riley Inge, of the STOP project, a registered charity (20/20P is not) the author reveals that neither for-profit (social enterprise-in-development) nor not-for-profit has it easy, resulting in many very worthwhile organizations dying on the vine.
I’m hoping this won’t happen to either of our organizations as thousands of children and families continue to suffer every day, their communities along with them. And many are unknowingly heading for trouble in the future for lack of earlier prevention education and support today.
And so, in honor of my son’s and my wishes to help others, I will continue to develop this website, send out a monthly newsletter, and provide presentations for as long as it is financially possible. Though I’m committed to doing what I can with or without support it is obvious that we could accomplish a great deal more with teamwork and funding.
For the time being I must also focus more seriously on earning income for today’s bills and tomorrow’s retirement, as the many life challenges I’ve endured have left me with a lot of financial catching up to do. That reminds me…
I wonder if you can appreciate the irony of the situation. Due to the social stigmas and misconceptions around addiction, mental illness, and suicide, and the seemingly still-prevalent perception that parents are 95% to blame, few if any parents are able to talk publicly about these experiences.
The reason I am able to is two-fold:
- Several years of prior psychotherapy has helped me to be free of shame and guilt, understanding on a deep level that I did all that I could with the resources and support that was available to me along the way. In turn this has given me the strength to pursue the answers to Ryan’s demise, resulting in insights otherwise remaining hidden from me thus others I now inform.
- I had nothing else to lose by going public. I had lost everything: my only child, my health/employability (though temporary), social status, even to some degree, through lack of understanding, my family’s respect (though I’ve regained it since). What I’ve always had in spades is a keen sense of injustice and the strength of will to do something about it.
How many parents with prestigious jobs and social standing (the means to start a not-for-profit) do you know who would be willing and able to honestly share these devastating and badly misjudged experiences, much less their own part in them? Yet, to change public perceptions and gain greater support for our children and families this is the very thing that is needed: fearless, compassionate disclosure from, and dialogue with, those of us who’ve been through it.
What the future holds for 20/20 Parenting and all the working plans I’ve made for support programs, services, and a Ryan’s Wish Foundation is hard to say. Do people see the value enough to offer support to make this happen?
Whether or not you, or others you know, are in a position to help with funds or expertise, I’d really value your thoughts. What value do you see? Has my work helped you or those you love or work with? If so, in what way? Are you in a position to help in other ways and require more information? Please write me and send your letter via email.
Thank you so much, in advance, for your consideration and support.
Kerry Jackson
