Living the Dream Foundation

Our mission is to educate the public on depression, substance abuse and suicide. We strive to provide education and resources to individuals suffering with depression, substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. We offer support to individuals and families who may be suffering or have suffered with these issues.

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The Living the Dream Foundation was formed to honor the memory of our son, Ben Long, a 2008 graduate of CCHS. Ben was a typical Culpeper kid. He played little league baseball, he played the sousaphone in the marching band, he was an Eagle Scout and after high school graduation he went off to college. Ben was the first member of the Old Dominion University Marching Monarchs where he graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice in 2013.

After graduation Ben was hurt on the job and was prescribed pain pills, somewhere along the way becoming addicted to opiates. Once pain pills became hard to get, low cost and readily available heroin took over his life.  Ben came to us for help. The help that Ben so desperately wanted was hard to find and mostly unavailable.

On a beautiful April Sunday afternoon, with no hope of finding help with his addiction our son completed suicide in our home ending his pain.

Your donation will help us to continue to award scholarships to high school seniors in Rappahannock, Madison, Orange and Culpeper counties pursuing an education in health care or a social work or counseling field of study. Your donation will help us to continue to host educational workshops in substance abuse and suicide awareness in our community.

B.E.L. Believing in Every Life