The four club officers of Jamestown Community College’s SAC’D Club in a classroom on the Jamestown Campus. They include Alix Sandberg, secretary; Xander Pierce, Treasurer; Taydem Lang, Vice President; and Lauren Schuster, president.
Members of Jamestown Community College’s Students Against Chemical Dependency Club each have their own reasons for joining and being active in the group.
Some are in recovery from addiction. Others have had family members threatened by addiction. And even more simply want to help spread the word and support the addiction and recovery community.
“You don’t always have to be an active member, and you don’t have to be in addiction (counseling classes) to be part of this club,” says Alix Sandberg, club secretary. “You can be in recovery, you can be someone who wants to learn more about addiction and how it affects people. You can be someone who just wants resources for their family members. You can be anyone at the JCC.”
Thanks to the SAC’D club, as it is called, Sandberg has been able to provide better support to an uncle in recovery. Taydem Lang, the club’s vice president, has been uplifted after losing an aunt to addiction. Lauren Schuster, club president, and Xander Pierce, club treasurer, have had others to lean on as they recover.
“I can honestly say that the reason I’m clean today is because of a support network that I could rely on and knowing that I wasn’t alone,” Schuster said. “Having people who cared about me regardless is what kept me going and made me try to have a successful lifestyle. A lot of people in active addiction burn every bridge they have with other people. And it’s really hard for people on the outside who look in, feel helpless and don’t really know what to do to help an addict. SAC’D Club, we pride ourselves on wellness and support, and it means the most to me because I know I have a group of people. that I can trust and trust and really express myself without judgment. I know I’m not alone in being a part of this club, and I’ve built some really meaningful and lasting relationships because of it.”
Pierce said he had never been part of a club until joining SAC’D and “finally” feels like he is “part of something that was bigger than me.”
“When I got the chance to be the treasurer of this club, it meant a lot because I always knew since I got clean that I wanted to help others in addiction as well,” Pierce added. “And this is kind of my first step in doing that because I see a future where I’m helping others go through addiction.”
Schuster helped found SAC’D last spring semester after learning that many classmates in her substance abuse counseling class were in active recovery or affected by chemical dependency. SAC’D has grown to nearly a dozen active members, although others often stop by for meetings or to support a club event.
The club’s active presence on the Jamestown Campus and in the Chautauqua County community earned it three JCC awards last semester: Best Club Advisor Award, Unsung Champion Award and Community Impact Award.
“I wasn’t expecting any of that, but it was just a really good way to start the first semester of our launch,” Schuster said. “I am also very proud to have succeeded in creating a safe place and a safe environment for these students. That was my main goal through this whole thing. I just want every student to come and know that they are not alone and know that they will always have support no matter what throughout the club.”
On campus, the club has participated in substance abuse and domestic violence awareness events, including hosting a National Drug and Alcohol Fact Week, partnering with the Safe Point Lighthouse agency to hold Narcan training for students and staff, and participating in the annual Suicide Prevention Walk on the Jamestown Campus.
“We also go out into the community to lend a helping hand and teach more about who we are and what we do,” Lang said. “This is a really important space to have both on campus here at the JCC and in the community of Jamestown.”
Schuster and her team have worked to build connections with many organizations and partners in the community. They have participated in the Jamestown Pride Festival, Pinwheel Garden Planting Walk for Child Abuse Prevention Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Unity Day Walk, and visited Jamestown High School’s Justice for All class to share information about SAC’D. Along the way, SAC’D has received strong support from the university and fellow students.
“I was very verbal from the beginning with all the faculty about my ideas,” Schuster said. “All the students and everybody was on board and thought it was a great idea.”
Pierce sees a bright future for the club and the continued impact it can make on the JCC campus and community.
“The war on addiction is never ending,” he said. “I think as long as there are people here struggling, I think this club will always be here and give those people help when they need it.”
