The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) was founded in 1991 to bring together addiction-focused groups and build a coalition advocating for the licensing of Alcohol and Drug Counselors and other key issues.
MOAR’s founding mentor was Leroy Kelly, a respected recovery advocate. Maryanne Frangules joined as a core collaborator and went on to serve as MOAR’s first Executive Director from 1999 until her retirement in January 2025. Noel Sierra now serves as the current Executive Director.
MOAR was originally known as the Massachusetts Organization of Americans for Recovery. The organization sought to collaborate with former Iowa Senator Harold Hughes’ Society of Americans for Recovery, which aimed to end discrimination against people with addiction in all areas of life, including health care, criminal justice, employment, and housing.
MOAR later became the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery when it joined the New England Alliance for Addiction Recovery in 1998. This alliance was supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through the Recovery Community Support Program.
This project was funded for just over six years, during which time it helped build a strong recovery network across New England. At the same time, MOAR began receiving—and continues to receive—critical support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
MOAR is alive today because of the unwavering dedication of people in recovery, along with their families, friends, and allies.