In 2015, Stacy Emminger started Donegal Substance Abuse Alliance (DSAA) as a parent support group, running meetings from her living room.

Now the organization is marking its 10th anniversary with an open house, which will focus on how DSAA has grown and the impact it has made in the community. The drop-in open house will be held on Friday, Aug. 29, from 3 to 7 p.m. at DSAA, 78 E. Main St., Mount Joy. The event will feature speakers; refreshments; opportunities to meet and talk with staff and board members; and displays of DSAA's work, from a slideshow to artwork from the nonprofit's Art Heals program.

"Our mission is to deliver supportive approaches to addiction by educating, equipping and supporting individuals, families and communities," said Emminger, DSAA's executive director. "Our services include supporting families who are impacted by addiction, grief support, referral to treatment and other resources (and) educational presentations about addiction and recovery support."

In 2017, DSAA filed to become a 501(c)(3) and opened its first office on West Main Street in Mount Joy. In 2019, the organization received a contract from Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission to open its recovery center and moved into its current location. DSAA also began offering 12-step yoga and Art Heals.

"During the COVID lockdown, I wondered how the recovery houses were getting hygiene supplies for their residents, and that is how the Care Kits program was born," said Emminger, describing one of the program's initiatives. "Soon after we started the clothing bank."

DSAA also received a grant to support its Recovery Capital program in 2021, a pilot program that began with one peer support specialist.

"We now have six staff working with individuals in the criminal justice system," Emminger shared. "We're also providing yoga classes and drug and alcohol classes in Lancaster County Prison. In September we will begin providing art classes in Lancaster County Prison."

When she started DSAA to find healing after the loss of her son to addiction, Emminger wasn't sure where the organization would go.

"I am amazed at how DSAA has grown," she said. "I don't know exactly what I thought it would become when I started it but so much of what we do now was not in my plan. It really feels like it has a life of its own. Opportunities appear and I've always been willing to take a risk and go for it. It hasn't always been easy and it's a lot of hard work, but the results are so worth it."

She noted that about 2,000 people a year come through DSAA programs.

"Our goal is that each of those individuals is treated with compassion, respect and understanding," she said. "I have a fantastic staff that is dedicated to our clients. I have a great board who supports our work. DSAA is about serving others and we live that."

Emminger said DSAA addresses a universal need.

"DSAA is important because addiction isn't going anywhere. It impacts every community," she remarked. "When I first started DSAA, people told me they didn't think we were needed because 'we don't have that problem here.' They were wrong. It is a problem everywhere. Pretending it isn't happening isn't the answer."

She believes the path to breaking the stigma of addiction is to meet it head on and talk about it.

"That's been my mission from the day my son died," she shared. "For years while he was struggling, we hid his addiction because of the stigma. We didn't get help that we needed. There wasn't much help at that time in our area, and what help there was, we didn't know about. My personal mission was to spread awareness and education about addiction and to give families the help we didn't get."

Community members can support the mission and work of DSAA by donating gently used clothing to the clothing bank or hygiene products for Care Kits. People are invited to join the board, donate funds, hold fundraisers or simply spread the word about DSAA.

"The more people know about us, the more families we can help," Emminger said.

The organization will also host the fifth annual Nick Hershey Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 20. On Wednesday, Oct. 8, DSAA will partner with the Mount Joy Area Chamber of Commerce, Milanof-Schock Library and Joining Forces Children to present the movie "No Matter What: A Family Story of Addiction Recovery," from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road Mount Joy. The event will include a showing of the 20-minute documentary, a discussion and a Q&A session.

As she looks to the next 10 years, Emminger envisions continuing to work to destigmatize addiction. She hopes people will come to the open house to see the space and learn about the organization's programs.

"Lots of people don't even know we're here unless they need us," she said. "We are a part of the community, and we participate in community events, but I feel people avoid us because of the stigma of addiction. I want people to feel comfortable coming to us when they need us. We do have programs that are open to the community as well. We see ourselves as a little bit of a community center."

For more information on DSAA, visit https://dsasquared.org or follow the organization on Facebook.