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North County Groups to Rally for Substance Recovery Awareness
01:42PM / Thursday, September 03, 2015
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Two local organizations are joining together with the city of North Adams to raise awareness about addiction, substance abuse, and recovery resources in the region.

Josh Bressette Commit to Save A Life and the Rx/Heroin Work Group of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition are holding the Voices for Recovery rally, walk and vigil from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The rally and vigil will be centered at Noel Field Athletic Complex, with a Recovery Walk through downtown North Adams taking place at 5:30. The rally will include live music, food, and family friendly activities as well as informational tables and resources.

"We want to highlight the resources available in our community to support recovery and treatment, as well as identifying the areas of need," said Wendy Penner, director of prevention programs at NBCC.

Tabling organizations will include the Brien Center, Berkshire Health Systems, Spectrum Health, Tapestry Health, Berkshire Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative, the Berkshire County sheriff's office, and Soldier On.

The theme of the walk, "Visible Vocal, Valuable," is designed to address the stigma associated with addiction by celebrating the successes of those in recovery, and promoting that recovery from addiction is possible.

"We need to come together as a community to encourage, support and assist both those in recovery and those struggling with addiction. We have lost too many lives and by raising awareness, providing support, and increasing education, we can work to end this," said Kenna Waterman, founder and president of Josh Bressette Commit to Save a Life, an organization she founded after her son died as a result of heroin involvement.

The organization provides financial assistance to support those working toward recovery. Those attending the rally will have the opportunity to make signs to carry during the walk, and to create a square for a "recovery quilt" to celebrate both stories of people in recovery and to remember those lost to addiction.

Those who have personal stories of how addiction has touched them or a loved one are invited to submit and share a personal picture or story for the wall of recovery and remembrance.

A variety of speakers will address the opioid epidemic in our region. These will include Chris and Kathy Sullivan, Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center, and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing.

The event will also include the 3rd annual Vigil of Recovery and Remembrance sponsored by the Rx/Heroin Group. The group has been meeting regularly since 2012 to create resources and advocate for local solutions to the regions opioid epidemic. The vigil is the "quiet time" during the event when those who are suffering from addiction, have experienced loss and want to see this horrible epidemic come to an end very simply come together to comfort one another.

"The past two years' vigils have been very powerful, both emotionally and spiritually," said Mayor Richard Alcombright. "It is a time for healing, for unity, for shaking out the stigma, but mostly so folks don't feel so weighted down with the loneliness this disease presents."

Nearly four lives a day are lost to heroin overdoses in Massachusetts. That’s more than those lost to car accidents. The estimated rate of 18.6 deaths per 100,000 residents for 2014 is the highest ever for unintentional opioid overdoses and represents a 250 percent increase from the rate of 5.3 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2000. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control, use is growing fastest among non-traditional groups such as women, whites, the middle class, and the insured.

"We want to promote existing services, and also advocate for needed additional services such as support for substance abuse prevention education in the schools, the addition of long-term residential treatment beds, and enhanced coverage of treatment by insurers," said Penner. For more information, contact the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition at 413-663-7588 or Penner at wpenner@nbccoalition.org.

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