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6th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony
Our 6th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony was held April 12th, 2011 at Razberry's on Rt. 12. between Flemington and Frenchtown.
This program was made to honor the graduates of HDAP's Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Treatment Programs. This is not
an easy accomplishment as clients must remain sober after successfully completing treatment. These clients also made positive life changes
in many other areas of their lives such as education, work, social relations, family relations, and a dramatic reduction of recidivism in
the legal system. PLEASE NOTE: Current and former HDAP clients are either not pictured, or pictured in a way that protects their
confidentiality.
Each graduate was awarded a graduation certificate, along with a small token of HDAP's appreciation. Each graduate was asked to speak, and all spoke eloquently of their struggles with
addiction, and their own personal road back in their recovery process. These speeches were moving and funny; bringing both tears and laughter to the crowd of over 110 people in attendance!
Their inspired speeches brought home what our job at HDAP is all about, helping productive members of the greater Hunterdon County community
get back on their feet and take back their lives.
We would also like to extend our thanks to our previous year's graduates who continue to support HDAP! It is really a prvilege having those people who
graduated a year ago, or in some cases years ago, continue to support HDAP and continue to support those who currently graduating and those currently in treatment!
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About the Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Award
In addition the 6th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony honored Linda Stampoulos with the Frank P. Masterson Jr. Award.
This award is aimed at highlighting people helping the addiction community, who show great leadership, and more importantly a strong sense of caring and commitment to the clients HDAP serves. This award is entitled the
Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Recognition of Achievement Award. From 1970 - 1977 twelve young people’s lives were lost in Lambertville due to drug related deaths. Frank helped to found
Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program in 1977 after a small group of concerned community leaders felt there was a need for a substance abuse program in the Lambertville area. Frank has served on
the HDAP's Board of Directors from 1977 until January 2009 as Vice President of the Board. In January, 2009 he was named Founder Emeritus. A large program based out of Atlantic City called Narco (name now changed
to Institute for Human Development) sponsored Frank and the other community leader's idea and gave the program a small grant to help in treating Hunterdon County Residents. The first office opened in Lambertville
in 1977 and as services expanded, so did area support and interest.
In 1981 we were incorporated as an independent treatment and prevention agency serving Hunterdon County and surrounding
areas under a local Board of Directors. In 1984, having outgrown our original office space, we moved to our current location. Frank passed away on February 8th, 2009. His passing occured shortly after
being honored as HDAP's first and only Founder Emeritus on our board of directors. Frank's vision and commitment to helping those in need of substance abuse services has taken the form of a program providing 32
years of substance abuse treatment and prevention services. Frank's legacy of community involvement and his commitment to help others lives on in the daily work HDAP provides to the Hunterdon County community.
We are saddened that he is gone, but grateful for what he accomplished. Click here to see a comprehensive article on the history of HDAP!
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Linda Stampoulos
Linda Stampoulos was the 2011 recepient of the Frank P. Masterson Jr. Award. This award was given to Ms. Stampoulos for her entire career in which she supported people who have substance
abuse/depedence issues. Linda has been involved in Substance Abuse Prevention and Education for over 30 years before retiring in August of 2010.
She began her career teaching 7th and 8th graders Health and Physical Education at Lincoln School in Secaucus. She took time off to raise her son,
Evan, and went back to Montclair State University to earn her Master of Arts Degree in Education and then on to Columbia University for her
Doctorate in Education. Over this period of time she taught at both Graduate and Undergraduate Levels, teaching Basic Introduction Courses
in Health and also the History of Medicine, Educational Research Methods, and Statistics for the College of Education and Human Services at MSU.
In 1986 and for the next 25 years she served as Hunterdon County’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Coordinator overseeing all the grants coming into
the County to fund both Substance Treatment and Prevention. For fifteen of those years she also served as the County’s Municipal Alliance
Coordinator administering the County’s Prevention Funds and coordinating its five Municipal Alliances.
Linda is also a published author. Her publications include Visiting The Grand Canyon, Views of Early Tourism, and The
Redemption of Black Elk. Another book due to be released by early summer, is Two on a Bridge. This is a handbook for
creative discussions guided by Native American insight for recognizing the healing powers that surround us.
Linda is enjoying retirement and spending much of her time with her two grandsons, Brian 4 years and David 6 months.
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Graduate Speeches
This years ceremony saw a growth in the numbers that we had last year. Over 110 graduates, family
members, friends, graduate alumni, probation officials, sponsors, Hunterdon County administrators, Hunterdon County Freeholders, State Assemblyman Erik Peterson, and HDAP staff and board members were in attendance this year
(up from 95 in 2010, 90 in 2009, 80 in 2008, 60 in 2007, and 20 in 2006).
This year we changed venues to Razberry's and the change really was a positive one!. The flow of events followed previous year's event, in that
all graduates were asked to speak, and did so with moving speeches about the impact addiction had on their lives and the significant changes
they have made. Their powerful speeches showcased the impact addiction can have, captured the struggles they went through, and sometimes continue to overcome,
and also showcased the power of their recovery from addiction! These powerful positive changes included family reunification, stable employment (one
graduate has started his own company!), and other great accomplishments. Some members had difficulty speaking without becoming emotional, as is expected with such dramatic changes, and such great accomplishments.
HDAP staff and board would like to extend our
sincere thanks to the graduates and their support network. Recovery from substance abuse/dependence is not an easy task for anybody. However, it is
the support of significant people in one's life that helps the recovery process become more successful. Personal growth and the restoration of significant
relationships, reintegration back into thw workforce are just three keys to addiction recovery being successful and to its longevity ... and they were again key themes in this years graduation ceremony.
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Dignitary, Staff and Past Client Speeches
State Assemblyman Erik Peterson spoke eloquently to the graduates about their accomplishments, and to Linda Stampoulos regarding her award. This year
Freeholder Sworen also spoke to the graduates and to Linda. We had one graduate from 2010 (John K.) speak at the
the graduation. John gave a very moving speech regarding his struggle with addiction and continued work in the recovery process.
Some of the things John has given back to the community were also highlighted by Executive Director Glenn Duncan.
John has a construction business
that he was able to revitalize in his recovery efforts, and continues to give back by hiring current drug court clients in his business when he can.
John was gracious enough to HDAP feature him in our 2010 newsletter, which through his story and through our Board Member's personalized letters to
potential donors, helped to raise $12,000 in our 2010 residential fundraiser. We are very grateful to not only have John speak at the graduation, but
we are also grateful to all of our past graduates who came to support this year's efforts.
Clinical Director Jass Pelland and Executive Director Glenn Duncan both spoke at the ceremony, Jass, Glenn and clinicians Mark Hodkinson and Clifford York
introduced each graduate by telling about some of their struggles and success when each graduate was handed their certificate.
We received many compliments about the quality of the food and atmosphere that Razberry's provided for this occasion. We are grateful for all our staff and grateful to all those
who put in the work needed to make this year's ceremony a great event. Below are the HDAP staff members who made significant contributions that helped make this ceremony
such a successful event. I would like to thank all of the HDAP staff for their help and their role in making this event such a resounding success. It is due to the dedication and professionalism of the HDAP staff that make us
one of the best (if not the best in my humble opinion) treatment providers not only in Hunterdon County but throughout the State of New Jersey. - Glenn Duncan, Executive Director.
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Alumni and Staff Event Recognition
We would like to recognize the people that made this event possible, from conceptual ideas to the actual participation in HDAP's
6th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony. They are (in alphabetical order):
- Mary Hanley
- Mark Hodkinson
- Jass Pelland - Committee Co-Chair
- Jill Piperata - Committee Co-Chair
- Clifford York
We would like to extend a special thank you to two former staff members, Frank Greenagel and Raffaella McAllister. We would especially like to thank
Raffaella for coming up to speak on the work she did with some of the graduates this year.
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Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program, Inc.
8 Main Street, Suite 7
Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: 1-908-788-1900
Fax: 1-908-788-3836
info@hdap.org
Glenn Duncan, Executive Director
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