Recovering addict collecting toys for children whose parents died of overdoses

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A Fairborn man who is a recovering heroin addict has started a toy collection for children of parents who died from drug overdoses.

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Richard Matteoli was in the news last month when he publicly thanked Fairborn emergency personnel for saving his life on multiple occasions when he overdosed on heroin.

Richard Matteoli holds up photos of himself before he finally went into recovery for heroin addiction. Matteoli thanked Fairborn first responders on Wednesday for helping him survive his addiction.

Credit: Max Filby/ STAFF

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Credit: Max Filby/ STAFF

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The 40-year-old father has started Recovery Toy Drive, an effort to make the holidays a little better for children whose parents have died from drug overdoses.

Matteoli said through his connections in the addiction-recovery community, he already has a list of 22 children who will benefit from his efforts.

“I hope the Recovery Toy Drive will bring some awareness to the most innocent victims in the heroin epidemic," he said.

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Recovery Toy Drive has gotten donations from the Dayton Dragons and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

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If you want to help, call Richard Matteoli at (937) 927-1788 or send an email to RecoveryToyDrive2017@gmail.com. You can visit his Facebook page for updates on the campaign.

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