Art4Giving, a charity organization founded by the family of Ross Ulbricht has announced the donation of over $50,000 to charities. The donation made to two leading charities is meant to support the reduction of substance abuse and associated risks.
A release from Art4Giving seen by Cryptoinfowatch on December 9 said that the two receiving charity organizations are dedicated to harm reduction associated with substance abuse.
Ross Ulbricht is serving a life sentence due to the role he played in creating an anonymous marketplace where people can can and sell drugs and other items. His sentence made it impossible for him to be paroled in the future.
“A lot of harm comes from drug abuse, and I played a role in drug distribution,” said Ulbricht.
Art4Giving is an attempt by Ulbricht to make amends. A statement credited to him said,
“A decade later, I’m doing what I can to make amends. I’m proud to support Partnership to End Addiction and Phoenix House.”
End Addiction got $30,000
End Addiction, a leading charity dedicated to addiction control, prevention, treatment and recovery received $30,000 from Art4Giving. The platform can be located from their website, www.drugfree.org.
Phoenix House Florida is the second recipient of the donation from Art4Giving. The charity provides in-house and outpatient services to people who are recovering from substance abuse. The organization operates in Brandon and Citra, Florida, where it helps individuals in various stages of recovery. It received $25,000 from Art4Giving. Its website is www.phoenixfl.org.
Expansion of therapeutic sketching program
A statement from Phoenix House said that the charity will expand its services as a result of the donation from Art4Giving. It added that its Art Therapy, a therapeutic sketching program that has been of assistance to people struggling with substance abuse, will be expanded as a result of the donation from Art4Giving.
“Thanks to the donation, Phoenix House FL will be able to expand their Art Therapy program, which provides therapeutic drawing and painting classes to individuals struggling with substance abuse,” said the statement from Phoenix House.
The press release from Art4Giving said that the organization has donated a total of $445,000 to harm reduction causes so far. The charity is also working with some organizations focused on the reduction of recidivism through prison visitations, education and creation of opportunities for inmates.
Art4Giving funds raised from Ulbricht’s art
The funds donated by Art4Giving were raised from the sale of Ross Ulbricht’s art. Some of these were created during his time in prison while others were made before he was imprisoned. All the art was made into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and auctioned.
“I see a chance to make a difference…My own future may look bleak, but I can still do a little something to heal the damage I see all around me,” said Ulbricht of Art4Giving’s mission.
Art4Giving was founded in 2021 as a charitable fund by the family of Ulbricht after his art was auctioned. This followed his wish to support causes that made difference in the lives of people. It has since been providing financial support to entities dedicated to lowering recidivism and harm.
