A new donate function for Living Sober

Tēnā koutou!

Ko Leah Rothman tōku ingoa, E mahi ana ahau ki New Zealand Drug Foundation.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katou.

Living Sober has supported thousands of people to reflect and make positive changes with how they use alcohol, with many members saying it is the community that is the most supportive aspect. Many members have expressed interest in donating to the website, and we are happy to announce there is now a donations page on Living Sober. This gives anyone in a position to contribute financially to the running and maintenance of the website the ability to do so easily.  The team have worked hard to ensure:

• Living Sober remains a free website, donating is entirely optional with no requirement for anyone to contribute
• All donations are anonymous
• All donations go towards the ongoing running of Living Sober
• There are regular and one-off donation options available

The goal of implementing a donation function is to ensure the ongoing financial stability of the website, ensuring it continues to support people at any stage on their alcohol journey, without barriers.

Some of you may know that New Zealand Drug Foundation works behind the scenes to maintain the Living Sober website.  Lotta Dann (@mrs-d) works tirelessly to create a supportive environment and provide regular new content, with the Drug Foundation in the background to ensure the functions of Living Sober are maintained.

In 2021 we contracted an external evaluator to document the effectiveness of Living Sober. Many successes were found, including:

• Most survey respondents who use Living Sober experienced positive changes in their alcohol use, and attribute this to being a part of the community.
• 68% of community members have stopped drinking since first visiting the website, and another 24% have had periods of sobriety.
• Beyond alcohol use, 84% of community members have also experienced other positive changes, such as:
  • 65% experiencing “better emotional wellbeing”
  • 63% experiencing “better mental health”
  • 59% state they are “more optimistic about the future”

A large portion of members also expressed support for a donations page to assist with the ongoing maintenance of the website; with 83% of respondents either “very comfortable” or “comfortable” with anonymous donations. You can read more about the evaluation here.

While nothing on the main pages of Living Sober will change, the added ‘donations’ tab will be present along the top of the website, we invite you to click on the link and have a look around.

I have been working alongside Lotta now for a year and a half and have thoroughly enjoyed supporting this mahi and community. I am thrilled that this added function will provide us with the ongoing ability to grow and maintain this powerful community. Living Sober remains a free website with all donations optional; however if you are in a position where you are able to contribute, we thank you for your support.

Hei konā mai,

Leah Rothman

Programme Lead, NZ Drug Foundation.