The Story So Far
Welcome to MADMOMS
At Mothers Against Drugs (MADMOMS), we believe healing happens through connection, compassion, and community. We walk alongside individuals and families impacted by substance use, grief, and trauma, helping transform pain into purpose and hope into action.
Why Invest in MADMOMS
Many organizations have support groups. Very few have:
- The 5ive Star Studio Café
- Ongoing Healing and Support Groups
- Recovery Activation Tables
- Holistic Healing Workshops
- Dads Speak Week
- Read 2 Achieve for Drug Free Communities
- Doll Play Healing
- One Click Village
Because We Transform Pain into Purpose
We believe healing happens in many ways. Through storytelling, songwriting, creative arts, holistic wellness, and peer support, participants find healthy ways to process grief, strengthen resilience, and discover hope. Your investment helps families turn their stories into sources of healing and inspiration.
Because Healing Begins with Those Who Have Lived It
MADMOMS was founded by a mother in long-term recovery who transformed the devastating loss of her only son into a movement of hope and healing. Our lived experience allows us to build trust, reduce stigma, and create safe spaces where families feel understood and supported.
Because Strong Communities Heal Together
No family should face addiction, recovery, or grief alone. MADMOMS brings together families, recovery advocates, healthcare professionals, community organizations, elected officials, and volunteers to build lasting partnerships that expand access to resources and strengthen communities.
Because Recovery and Healing Are Lifelong Journeys
Healing doesn’t end after a crisis or a single support group. We provide ongoing programs that help families continue their journey through education, wellness activities, peer support, community events, and creative healing opportunities. Your support helps ensure that families have a place to turn, not just today, but for years to come.
What Gifts Accomplish
- $25 provides healing journals
- $50 supports one family at a workshop
- $100 helps sponsor a Recovery Activation Table
- $250 helps fund a community healing event
- $500 sponsors a songwriting workshop
Investing in MADMOMS is an investment in prevention. By strengthening families, reducing isolation, and increasing access to recovery resources and community support, we help create healthier communities where hope can grow and future harm can be reduced.
Chapter Two: The Heart Behind the Mission
Janice and Ja’Maar
Janice V. Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Drugs Inc. (MADMOMS) Honoring the Legacy of Ja’Maar 5ive Johnson, a survivor-led nonprofit born from lived experience, unwavering resilience, and an unshakable belief that hope can grow even in life’s darkest moments.
Having experienced the traumatic loss of her younger brother to homicide, the deaths of close family members, her parents and ultimately the devastating loss of her only son, Ja’Maar “5ive” Johnson, Janice understands grief in ways few people ever will. She also knows the challenges of her own journey through substance use and long-term recovery. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, she transformed them into a lifelong mission to help others heal.
Today, Janice is dedicated to ensuring that families, especially those in underserved communities facing stigma, isolation, and barriers to care, have access to compassionate support, meaningful connection, and innovative healing through storytelling, music, holistic wellness, and community.
She believes every person’s story has value, every family deserves hope, and no one should have to navigate grief, addiction, or recovery alone.
Chapter Three: Voices of Hope
A Mother Found Community
“After losing my son, I felt invisible. MADMOMS welcomed me with compassion, understanding, and hope. They didn’t try to fix my pain, they walked beside me through it.”
— Bereaved Mother
A Father Found Hope
“Dad’s Speak Week reminded me that I wasn’t alone. For the first time in years, I was able to talk openly about my grief without feeling judged. I left each meeting stronger than when I arrived.”
— Father & Support Group Participant
Healing Beyond Support Groups
“The creative healing workshops helped me express emotions I had carried for years. Storytelling and music gave me a voice when I didn’t have the words. It changed how I heal.”
— Holistic Healing Participant
Recovery With Dignity
“As someone in recovery, I often felt defined by my past. MADMOMS reminded me that my story still has purpose. Today I have hope, confidence, and a community that believes in me.”
— Recovery Community Member
A Family Reconnected
“MADMOMS doesn’t just support individuals, they help entire families heal together. We learned how to communicate, support one another, and believe that recovery and healing are possible.”
— Family Participant
Community Leadership
“What makes MADMOMS unique is that their work is rooted in lived experience. They meet families with compassion, dignity, and practical support while creating spaces where healing truly begins. Their impact reaches far beyond one program it strengthens entire communities.”
— Community Partner
Chapter Four : Stories in Action
The Songwriting Journey to Recovery
Healing Hearts Together
Strong Families Build Stronger Communities.
Where healing begins through play
Read 2 Achieve for Drug Free Communities
MADMOMS Recovery Activation Tables
The Gift ♥️
The Gift of Life: Ja’Maar’s Story
"5ive," born Ja’Maar D. Johnson, was his mother’s beloved only son. With a strong presence, he had a range of nicknames that reflected his dynamic personality. He’d often say, “You can call me Flyboy 5ive, The Kid, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Jay, or just 5ive. But if you don’t know me, it’s Mr. Ja'Maar Johnson to you.” Ja'Maar had a deep passion for music, expressing himself through writing songs and rapping. He also enjoyed drawing and was athletic, playing both football and lacrosse. His favorite color was red, and he aspired to be a rap star or a football player, driven by a desire to make his family proud.
With a captivating smile and a strong character, Ja'Maar was a young man filled with potential. However, in October 2009, tragedy struck when he became a victim of community violence, suffering a gunshot wound to his neck. Due to the bullet's precarious location, the surgeons had to leave it in, which set the stage for Ja'Maar’s struggle with opioids, as he became dependent on the pain medication prescribed to him.