The Rotary Club of Andover's Andover Cares event and movement that started in the fall of 2015 inspired local resident and jewelery designer Aileen Peters to create an Andover Cares bracelet.
 
Proceeds from bracelet sales support the Andover Cares Fund, which supports educational efforts to address the opioid epidemic facing our community. Each bracelet sells for $25 and $10 of every sale goes to the Andover Cares Fund. Bracelets can be purchased at Helen Thomas Simply Smashing! at 90 Main Street. Bracelets come in both polished and matte finish.
 
Each has a small muslin bag and a card,which includes information about Andover Cares, the meaning of the bracelet design, and a list of community resources for substance abuse support.
 
Aileen Peters' Andover Cares bracelets feature the Morse Code symbols for S.O.K. for Save Our Kids. “A bit of artistic license was used in creating these bracelets,” wrote Aileen on the card that accompanies each bracelet, “Traditional Morse Code is in two planes: dashes up ad dots down. In this representation of S.O.K., the letters are started on the same plane. The 'K' now shows a long dot, lingering below. This interpretation symbolizes our communities' need to support those on the outskirts, isolated, left behind, or needing help. It symbolizes our goal as a village to care for every member, to have the courage to tell someone is a friend is in need (be your 'brother's keeper') or to ask for help yourself. It also symbolized how easy it is to be on the right path, and suddenly drop off, to make a misstep.”
 
Aileen Peters was honored at the 2013 Andover Rotary Citizen Who Cares event for her volunteer work in the Andover-Lawrence community. Her Andover Cares bracelet is another way give back to the community. Her work can be found on her Facebook page, Aileen Peters Handcrafted Jewelry.
 
Andover Cares and the Andover Cares Fund were established in fall 2015, inspired by several members of the Rotary Club of Andover who lives have been touched by the heroin epidemic plaguing our community, our state, and our nation. "We have club members whose families have been personally impacted," said Rotary Club President Don Gottfried, "As we polled the community, it was remarkable how many stories we heard of loved ones who had been overcome by addiction."
 
The Andover Cares Fund was established to provide money, in the form of grants, to individuals or organizations. Grants may be used for any purpose which will help address the opiate addiction epidemic, including education, prevention, and treatment. Grant requests are considered on a rolling basis. Click here for more information about Andover Cares and the Andover Cares Fund.