Photo by Ron Burkett
Bill and Lisa Bright, founders of the Will Bright Foundation.
Soon, leaders of the Will Bright Foundation will speak for the second time before Congress about the importance of combating the nation’s growing opioid epidemic.
“It allows us to be able to share our story about Will and what we’re doing,” founder Lisa Bright said.
The foundation started in 2014, two years after Bright’s son Will, who was from Trussville, died of an overdose at the age of 25. It seeks to help those struggling with addiction by providing them a “secondary form of rehab,” according to their website.
“We’ve been really busy in the past few months,” Bright said.
Instead of being overcome by her son’s death, Bright said she decided to redeem the situation and help others.
“We could either let it consume us, or we can take it and make something good from it,” Bright said.
In early September, the foundation held the Restoration Swings tournament at Topgolf in Birmingham, and in its first meeting with Congress, it advocated for legislation to allow Medicare to cover non-opioid alternatives to those needing pain treatment, Bright said. The foundation also continues to provide scholarships to the Foundry, an addiction ministry in Birmingham.
In March, the foundation held its Restoration Run at Red Mountain Park.
For those who finish rehabilitation, Bright said the foundation can help provide extra care for them and help them get a fresh start on their life.
The foundation was granted a transitional property in Fayette in 2017, now called Restoration Springs, for men to stay as they try to move past their addiction. In February 2018, the foundation hired a director of staff in order to allow men to live in the home. The home can house up to six men, with two men living there as of mid-September.
The director will help teach men job and life skills during their stay in order to help them get back on their feet and defeat their addiction, Bright said.
“It’s been a good fit,” Bright said.
The foundation does a lot of service projects, coordinating with the Church of the Highlands to do tasks such as cutting grass or helping build a community garden, Bright said.
For more information about the foundation, visit willbrightfoundation.com, email info@willbrightfoundation.com or call 999-5576. The foundation is located at 1976 Gadsden Highway, Suite 206.
