The SHARC community is set to celebrate three decades of transforming lives through our lived experience of alcohol and other drugs, gambling and gambling harm.
This year marks three decades since SHARC was formed thanks to the vision of a small group of people committed to supporting each other and others like them.
In 1983, the group founded The Understanding and Support (US) Society to share their lived experience in a drug-free, home-like setting. Four years later, The Self Help and Substance Use Project (SHASU) was established as an umbrella organisation for drug self-help groups.
The two organisations amalgamated in 1995 to form the Self-Help Addiction Resource Centre, or SHARC.
In the decades since, SHARC has grown to become an innovator in the alcohol and other drugs sector, providing opportunities for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction and related challenges to recover and realise meaningful and satisfying lives.
Today, SHARC walks alongside thousands of people each year in Victoria and beyond. A team of 50-plus workers and trained volunteers provides telephone and online support, education programs, peer support groups, residential recovery, consumer participation and advocacy and workforce training.
Programs and services include Residential Peer Programs, Peer Projects, Family Drug and Gambling Help (FDGH) and the Association of Participating Service Users (APSU).
All are underpinned by a commitment to lived expertise, inclusion, community, leadership, advocacy, action and transformation.
SHARC’s CEO, Clare Davies, said the 30th anniversary offered the opportunity for reflection as well as celebration.
“This significant milestone is about honouring our past and embracing the future. We applaud the determination of SHARC’s founders to create positive change as we work towards our vision of a society free of stigma and discrimination. As a community, we stand proud of our history, our lived experience, and the power and impact of mutual support and understanding. While SHARC has evolved and grown in the past 30 years, these foundational values remain unchanged.”
