HEALING AND HOPE –
July 6, 2021 – “Last year I thought of all these moms that I know and all the kids that died from addiction — I said let’s put a book together and we’ll dedicate a chapter to our kids,” she said.
Greene reached out to several moms, who reached out to several more in addition to several sisters of survivors. When all the women got together, they came up with the name “Messengers on Missions” (M.O.M.S.) and the book “Ripples: Effects of Addiction” came to fruition. The book contains stories from mostly local families that have lost a loved one to addiction in addition to stories of survivors. M.O.M.S. member Lisa Mancuso, who lost her son Tyler to addiction, designed the cover of the book.
“I wanted to make sure we got their personality in there so people could appreciate that they were the kid next door,” explained Greene. “I wanted to get in the parents’ “aha” moment when they realized their kid had a problem.”
After being released in June, the book became an instant success, with some even sold in Canada, Germany, Australia and the UK. Over 1,000 copies have been sold so far locally, with many more purchased on Amazon.
In addition to Amazon, the book can be purchased in Ridgway at Cliffe’s and Ridgway Chamber of Commerce, in St. Marys at St. Marys Pharmacy, Clyde’s Meat Market and Dream Catch, in Kersey at Corner Market & Deli and Kneading Hands by Jacki Bauer, and will soon be at Always in Bloom in Coudersport. Greene hopes to expand book sales and has requests from businesses in Kane, Austin and DuBois, though the group is currently having difficulty keeping it in stock.
