Debora Ehrich D

eb has been an active contributor to her community for many years. When she transferred to CI, Deb wanted to get involved as soon as possible. She soon discovered the Days of Service hosted by the CCE and began to participate in as many as she could do. “People are unaware of this disease and we, as people, need to be more open-minded and willing to help [...] It doesn’t even matter where [someone] come[s] from or their social background. Information is the most powerful tool.” could. For Deb, these service days were perfect, as they allowed her an opportunity to volunteer while also balancing her other responsibilities.

“Most of my volunteer work has been with these little trips so I can still volunteer, but also focus on my school work and study.” Deb participated in the United Way Day of Caring, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and César Chávez Day of Service. Out of all of these service days, the United Way Day of Caring stood out to her. This service day took place at Prototypes, an organization in Oxnard that provides addiction treatment, detoxification, mental health services, prevention and education, vocational training and parenting support for women and allows them to keep their children by their side. This was not Deb’s first encounter with the organization as she had previously interned at Prototypes.

“When I heard that it was going to be at Prototypes, I thought ‘I’ve got to go there. I’ve got to see if I still remember someone there’ and I remembered a couple people and it was really nice to see how they’re doing and be able to go back and work in their gardens and help improve those [gardens] for them and talk with some of the ladies that are there.” As an intern, Deb was able to work with many women and spport them on their path to recovery. “Recovery is a process that never stops; it’s a continuous process. If a person ends up relapsing, that’s still part of the recovery process. They learn that they can always get help no matter what happens to them.”