CONVERSATIONS: Stories of Women and Men

Staci Katz is a native New Yorker who has been a Floridian for 21 years. She previously served as a Police Officer in the New York City Police Department. She was a patrol officer and also taught in the Police Academy, teaching and facilitating Human Relations training, including workshops on racism, sexism, and elitism. Serving others has always been important to Staci, and she now advocates for people in recovery and those seeking recovery from substance use and behavioral health disorders. Supporting people in the early stages of recovery while helping them access basic essentials such as shelter, food, and transportation is a focus of her work. Staci works to create positive change and to shift the paradigm of treatment to a person-centric model that treats individuals with dignity, compassion, and love so that shame and stigmas no longer persist. Staci began this journey while helping her son seek and sustain recovery from substance use. She is a member of The Palm Beach Behavioral Health Coalition, where she met Cindy Singer, who became her friend and business partner. They made a decision to address the drug epidemic and created the non-profit Our2Sons. They are fondly referred to as Moms on a Mission. They have been interviewed by local news stations, Facebook Live, and were featured in People Magazine in December 2020. Staci is a Peer Specialist, a Certified Recovery Coach, and has been trained to use Narcan. She is also a CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) facilitator and helped create the Palm Beach County HUB, a community center in Delray Beach, where she served as Vice President of the Board of Directors. One of Staci's passions is theater and acting. She also loves the beach and dreams of one day living in a tiny house right on the beach!

Cindy Singer is a mom on a mission! Cindy is a retired Middle School Principal from Long Island, New York, where she raised her three children. Tragically, Cindy lost her beloved son, Rory, to an accidental drug overdose in 2015. Since then she has been driven by her personal mission to help others. Cindy, together with her friend and business partner, Staci Katz, created Our2Sons, a non-profit organization, in 2017 to assist people with substance use disorder in all phases of recovery. These "moms on a mission" were featured in People Magazine in December 2020 for the work they do in the Palm Beach County community. In 2018, Cindy and Staci also received the Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Civic Award recognizing their work. Currently, Cindy serves as the president and chairperson of the Board of Directors at the HUB, a Recovery Community Center in Delray Beach. In addition, she is a certified Mental Health First Aider and Community Reinforcement and Family Training provider (CRAFT). On a personal note, Cindy's best times are spent with her daughters and granddaughters. Traveling the world, hosting parties for family and friends, and learning about different cultures are just a few of Cindy's passions