ABOVE: State Of Gratitude founder Christopher Bilyk (L) and first grant recipient Kevin Voeltz in Central Florida. (Photo courtesy State Of Gratitude’s Facebook)
ORLANDO | As COVID-19 is affecting every person in the country, its impact on those with substance abuse disorders can be felt even harder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse advises individuals with a substance abuse disorder are more likely to experience circumstances which pose unique environmental, physiological and financial challenges during this pandemic.
A local community member who is on his own road to recovery has launched an initiative to help those new to addiction recovery with some of their financial challenges.
Christopher Bilyk started State Of Gratitude, USA — an Orlando-based, online apparel shop selling T-shirts, tank tops, hats, water bottles, phone cases and more with his company logo imprinted on them — after moving back to Orlando at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
“I had lost my job working in Austin at a hotel due to obvious issues with COIVD and so I moved back,” Bilyk says.
When Bilyk received his $1,200 stimulus check, a part of the CARES Act passed by Congress in May, he says he initially thought of a hundred different things he could do with it but settled on starting a business.
“I’ve always been a huge advocate for gratitude in general. I always tell people ‘Just put yourself in a state of gratitude, don’t focus so much on the negative,'” Bilyk says. “So I took that $1,200 stimulus check, I wrote a little logo on a on a piece of paper and I was like, ‘You know what, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to take this money that I have, I’m going to invest in shirts.”
Bilyk started with three shirt colors —white, black and gray — and began selling them online. He now has 24 individual items available for purchase. What makes this site different than a lot of online apparel shops is State Of Gratitude’s philanthropic vision. Bilyk has committed to put 25% of the net profits from the new business into a grant program to help those new to addiction recovery.
(Photos courtesy State Of Gratitude’s Facebook)
“Through my own experience I found that there were gaps in places … that would help to facilitate a smooth transition to a long-term recovery lifestyle,” Bilyk says. “I started State of Gratitude as a means to kind of bridge those gaps. In my experience, when I was living in a sober-living facility, I saw that one of the biggest constraints for people in early sobriety is financial resources.”
Through this initiative, Bilyk will award $500 grants quarterly to chosen applicants. Eligibility requirements are listed on the State of Gratitude website, and include steps such as completing an inpatient treatment program or partial hospitalization program, be working a 12-step program with a sponsor and fill out an application detailing the individual’s need for the grant. The application is open to anyone in the U.S. meeting the set requirements. Bilyk has a six-person, independent panel — each members of the recovery community within their cities — who makes the final decision on which applicants get the grants.
“I removed myself completely from the equation,” he says. “I wanted to have nothing to do with who is going to be selected. I wanted to make it as nonbiased as possible. I’m not trying to promote my own interest.”
Less than four months after launching State of Gratitude, the company awarded its first grant.
“When I hit that first $500 mark I was like, okay let’s give it to somebody now because we’re in unprecedented times, there’s COVID, people aren’t able to go back to work. I can only imagine what the need is for people at this moment who are starting recovery,” he says.
The first wave of applicants came in and the panel chose Kevin Voeltz of Central Florida.
“It just so happened that they picked Kevin from Orlando,” Bilyk says.” I was like that’s so bizarre but it made it super easy for me because I just drive over to his house and congratulated him, which was amazing.”
Bilyk first contacted Voeltz over the phone to tell him he had been selected, then met him to present the grant in person.
“It was a great feeling,” Bilyk says. “I uploaded a video of the telephone conversation that I had with Kevin when I first told him over the phone. Words can’t even describe how amazing it was.”
Now that the first grant has been awarded, Bilyk can’t wait to reach the next milestone of being able to award multiple grants each quarter.
“Just seeing everything come together in such a short period of time, I never would have thought that I would have received this sort of outpouring of positivity and support that I’ve gotten from old friends, new friends, family, the community, neighbors; everybody that’s just hopped on this gratitude train,” Bilyk says. “Every day brings on a new challenge, a new adventure, a new excitement. I mean even today, it’s like I’m sitting here with you having this conversation, this is something that’s just like blowing my mind and I’m just like overwhelmed with gratitude.”
To purchase your State of Gratitude apparel or for more information on the application process and Bilyk’s story, visit StateOfGratitudeUSA.com.
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