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Gerardo (Gee) Matamoros is a SMART Regional Coordinator, president of the SMART NYC Board, and self-described newfound activist.  He is impacting his community through his passion and dedication to ensuring SMART is an option for everyone in recovery. 

In this podcast, they talk about: 

• Sarah growing up in a political family that loved to talk about religion and politics at the kitchen table 

• Sarah being introduced to SMART when she worked for the Secular Coalition for America 
• Being the engine of the secular movement  
• Gee grew up in different countries and came to the US for college 
• Gee’s stint with “naughty” substances and finding SMART 
• What brought Sarah and Gee together 

• Advocating for separation of church and state and evidence-based policy 
• Explaining to law makers why Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) should be supported in recovery 
• Ending the stigma of addiction for people in recovery 
• The First Amendment cases that protect choice in recovery pathways 
• Shifting the burden to the courts to ensure secular recovery options are given to people  

• Gee’s outreach and awareness efforts in NYC  
• Newfound energy in rallying people to get involved in SMART’s legislative changes 
• Why it’s important to learn the ecosystem of decision makers in your community and make SMART known 
• Telling your story because your voice matters to lawmakers at all levels