All Over Albany

Clean Is The New Dirty

Project: Clean Is The New Dirty, an activist movement with the goal of combatting the stigma of addiction, raising awareness of the disease, opening up discussion, and facilitating addiction prevention through activism, resource sharing, peer support, and community involvement.

Who: Sam Waite

Short bio
My name is Sam Waite, I am a recovering addict living in Albany. I am 29 years old and I grew up in Stratton, Vermont. I attended Stratton Mountain Ski Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon High School, and St. Michael's College, majoring in Business. I grew up ski racing, competing in the Junior Olympics at Whiteface, and eventually wound up as a ski coach for youth racing. I've worked in film production in Los Angeles and NYC, and construction management in Vermont.

These days, I am still passionate about anything outdoors, including hiking, rollerblading, tennis, gardening, and casual strolls around Albany. Some other hobbies of mine are fermenting, cooking, AA/NA/HA meetings, building/creating stuff, DOGS!, and volunteering. Since moving to Albany, I have volunteered with the Honest Weight Food COOP, the Emergency Shelter at First Lutheran Church, and Hope House Adult Residential Program. Community service is an integral part of the recovery lifestyle for many of us.

Our .org website.

A description of the proposed project

Clean Is The New Dirty is an activist movement with the goal of combatting the stigma of addiction, raising awareness of the disease, opening up discussion, and facilitating addiction prevention through activism, resource sharing, peer support, and community involvement. We hope to eventually speak at school assemblies, public forums, and partner with ally organizations to influence policymaking in an effort to expand access to treatment, fair housing, fair sentencing, and voting rights restoration, to name a few. One of our volunteers is even interested in writing a children's book about coping skills!

In addition to working hard, we want to play hard. For many in recovery, balancing sobriety with socialization is messy. It can often feel like you are leading two separate lives. CITND strives to break down this barrier to authenticity by organizing and promoting healthy opportunities through sports and fitness, arts and entertainment, potlucks, and community beautification. Clean Is The New Dirty is all about paying it forward and instilling hope.

Our Wordpress blog.

How would the grant money help?
The $2,500 would give Clean Is The New Dirty the kickstart that it needs to get going here in Albany. These funds will enable us to formally incorporate and apply for 501(c)(3) status, boosting our credibility and opening doors to a myriad of grant opportunities. Additional priorities include upgrading our copyright, launching a professional website, purchasing more t-shirts, stickers, brochures and banners, as well as vendor space at related events. All of these marketing avenues help create community among our volunteers, and allow them to serve as brand ambassadors - increasing our reach and impact in the Capital Region.

Investing in Clean Is The New Dirty is an investment in our community. It's not an addicts only movement. It's an anyone movement.