Our Story
Humanitarians.
Professionals.
Creatives.
Addicts.
With a team consisting of humanitarians, professionals, and creatives who have witnessed or experienced the destructive power of addiction, Keys to Freedom Foundation was founded so that we might elevate the disappointingly low rate at which individuals are regaining their health and independence through addiction recovery.
We Know the Struggle
There are seemingly infinite reasons why people resign themselves to remaining in the throes of active addiction, many of which the Keys to Freedom team experienced firsthand.
Financial
Substance abuse treatment programs often have a high out-of-pocket cost, which is why many individuals assume they cannot afford to get sober.
Logistical
There are over 14,000 addiction treatment centers in the United States alone. How do you know which is the right one for you?
Situational
It's difficult—perhaps impossible—to overcome addiction without making significant changes in one's circumstances and peer group.
Breadth of Experience
Masters of the Rehabilitation System
The prospect of getting sober can be daunting, especially if you're new to the world of addiction treatment. There are dozens of different treatments, multiple types of programs, and a variety of treatment modalities to wade through before finding the right one. When time is of the essence, having to simultaneously learn and navigate the rehabilitation system further delays the journey of recovery, leaving you vulnerable to injury, overdose, or even death.
Members of the Keys to Freedom team have experienced the ins and outs of the rehabilitation system. From getting waitlisted for subsidized treatment to sifting through confusing terminology (e.g. copays vs. deductibles), our team members have seen it all. More importantly, their experiences with recovery have made them valuable resources to individuals who are in the early stages of their own recoveries.
Check out our next online support group.
All are welcome. Wednesdays, 7 o'clock CST.
starting
Keys to Freedom Foundation
Because of the difficulties they experienced firsthand, members of the KTF team realized that many other are surely encountering the same struggles that make sobriety so difficult to achieve.
Wanting to minimize barriers to sobriety, the founders of KTF—Austin Wynn and Nick Ciadella—began using their time, money, and vehicles to provide free transportation to individuals in their community who were having difficulty with getting to and from treatment.
Throughout this time, Austin and Nick were encouraging others to embrace recovery, sharing tips gained through firsthand experience, and generally making themselves available to their community.
Before they knew it, the duo were fielding requests from all over the country, making and personally covering the cost of cross-country travel so these individuals who had nowhere else to turn could begin the process of getting their lives back.
A New Chapter
Nick's Story
It's around this same time that Nick discovered another calling: To spread awareness of the consequences of substance abuse, Nick began sharing his own story at conferences and other speaking engagements.
Impressed with Nick's passion and spirit, donors started offering to help fund KTF's growing operations. It was time to turn this passion project into a real organization. Keys to Freedom Foundation was officially on the board.
Etymology of
Keys to Freedom
Why is this foundation called Keys to Freedom? Let's break it down.
Key
The journey to recovery is different for everyone because each person in recovery benefits from treatments and therapies that correspond to their background and needs.
Freedom
Being free can mean many different things, including emotional freedom, intellectual freedom, and spiritual freedom. While each is important, each of us has a fundamental right to be free from the destructive power of addiction.