Genesis was founded in 1995 by two veteran human service professionals from large, multi-service agencies who felt that a more focused approach to substance abuse treatment was needed in the MetroWest area. They each pitched in about $1,000 to get it going, and built a distinguished program, weathering repeated state budget cutbacks with sound management and skillful fundraising. They have connected with other institutions and programs to knit together the safety net of mutually-reinforcing services for their clientele, supplementing that with a warm and respectful human touch. People calling for help find a human voice, not a pre-recorded maze. No one truly wanting help is turned away, nor do they have a discouraging wait list. Genesis clinicians meet with 150-175 clients weekly, and counsel family members as well. Clients have a completion rate of 72.4%—twice the norm for the state and region. Recent studies at Brandeis and Columbia have shown that substance abuse costs Massachusetts billions of dollars annually, and that we spend 1/25 of that on treatment; a Cal Tech study reported that every dollar spent on treatment saves seven dollars in eventual health care, institutionalization and other costs. If you care about this public health issue, and live in MetroWest, Genesis may be your philanthropic opportunity.