Bill Ayars understands the incredible pain that comes with losing a child.
In February 2016, his 28-year-old daughter, Jennifer, lost her battle with addiction, creating a void that can never be filled. But he didn’t want that to be the end of Jennifer’s story.
Six months after his daughter’s passing, Ayars set out to create the Emerald Jenny Foundation. It’s an organization that seeks to help people find better treatment options for loved ones who are struggling with addiction.
Ayars doesn’t claim to be an expert on this topic. What he does possess, however, is firsthand knowledge of how hard it can be to find the right path to provide help to those who need it so badly.
“If you try finding places without this website, I think you realize what a daunting experience that is,” says Ayars, co-founder and co-owner of Perspectus Architecture in Cleveland. “Hopefully we can help people or help find another gap that can be filled. Recovery is possible. In many instances, it takes multiple tries to be successful.”
You can read more about Jennifer in this month’s Building Stronger Communities feature. Ayars is hopeful that others will see the value in what he and his group of supporters have done and improve upon their hard work.
“I think somebody will come up with something better,” Ayars says. “But until then, I believe this is the best and most comprehensive place to start.”
Ayars has worked closely with a number of people, including William Denihan, who recently retired from his post as CEO at the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.
“At first, he didn’t know what to think of us,” Ayars says. “The website wasn’t up yet and we were working on the concept sketches. He became a real supporter and invited us to meetings they had. When we launched the website, he spoke on our behalf and (ADAMHS) added us as a resource. People are saying that this is something that was really needed.”
The work of the Emerald Jenny Foundation continues to this day. Ayars says his team constantly updates the information on the website to ensure it remains current.
“The plan is to call service providers every four to six months to confirm that what we show is right,” he says. “It’s going to make fundraising a little more important.”
Here’s hoping Ayars succeeds in his effort to save lives. ●
Mark Scott is senior associate editor at Smart Business Cleveland
