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| Shelly Bornstein has worked 28 years at Aultman Hospital, in their Nuclear Medicine Department. She received her certification in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, while attending Akron General Medical Center, and then Aultman Hospital, in Canton, Ohio. She also received her Associate in Science from the University of Akron. Shelly has always been drawn to help those in need all of her life, and has had many different experiences with volunteering locally and worldwide. She has volunteered at the Haven of Rest, in Akron, Ohio. Hope House in Canton, Ohio and Restoration in Canton and is currently volunteering at the Rahab House in Akron, which ministers to women caught in prostitution and addiction. She has volunteered in various activities with her church over the years, and has been on six mission trips, which include Romania, India, Mozambique, and Kenya. Shelly watched her son struggle for six years with an opiate addiction. She has learned firsthand what this entails, not only for the parents and family, but for the addict themselves. She has attended numerous opiate symposiums, talks, and conferences, as well as participated in awareness walks, and vigils. She is currently part of Ohio CAN's Steering Committee to bring drug awareness throughout the State of Ohio. Shelly participated in the National March at the White House, to ask for a federal response to the opiate epidemic. She also has met with Members of Congress both in the House and Senate, advocating for reforms in Health-Care Law's for treating those with the disease of addiction. She accompanied her husband Travis to Columbus, Ohio as he testified at the State House on behalf of the Good Samaritan Bill, HB 249. Shelly and her sister, Laura, began the Breaking Barriers Facebook page in November 2014, shortly after Tyler’s death. Shelly's youngest daughter Taylor and two other classmates who also lost brothers to heroin, began sharing their family stories in hopes to bring awareness of the epidemic to their school, community, and surrounding communities. Breaking Barriers Facebook page was created to bring awareness to addiction, and to educate people on the epidemic. The goal was to give people struggling with this disease a place to get information and support for families. In the fall of 2015, the page teamed up with the Rahab House in Akron, to provided 36 backpacks full of needed items, information, and devotions. The backpacks were handed out to ladies in need. These bags were purchased and assembled through donations made by various donors, and then given in honor of many individuals who have lost their lives to addiction. Each bag was embroidered with a name and dates, along with a photo placed in the front pocket and a brief story about the individual who lost their fight. This project was called Hope is Alive, because it was meant to bless the many who gave, those who lost a son or daughter, and ultimately give hope to the woman receiving each bag. Out of both Breaking Barriers and the Hope is Alive Project, came the vision for this non-profit Breaking Barriers - Hope is Alive. It was inspired by a desire to help bridge the gaps that are currently being missed, as we try to make an impact on this opiate crisis. It is a vision of hope, filtered through faith, as Breaking Barriers - Hope is Alive develops. Shelly believes in the concept of transforming the total being - body, mind, and spirit, and holds strong to her faith in Jesus Christ. She is determined to continue to fight for those caught in this epidemic, as well as their families, as she helps educate, bring awareness, and minister to those in need. |
Breaking the Stigma of Addiction - Building Hope
Breaking Barriers - Hope is Alive © 2016 All Rights Reserved | Breaking the Stigma of Addiction P.O. Box 534 Uniontown, OH 44685 |
| Shelly Bornstein - President |
