3rd Annual ‘Discover Recovery’ Set for Saturday
YWCA Wheeling, Youth Services System and the Ohio County IMPACT Coalition are joining forces to promote overdose awareness and share local addiction recovery resources at the third annual Discover Recovery event.
Discover Recovery will include a presentation and a resource fair held at the West Virginia Northern Community College courtyard from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Food will be available for attendees.
Community members who have lost loved ones over the last year to addiction will share their stories during Saturday’s event as part of the 2024 Voices of Hope interactive presentation held in conjunction with Discover Recovery to promote overdose awareness.
In addition to the presentation, a resource fair will bring local service organizations together to connect family and friends of those experiencing substance misuse to the appropriate resources.
YWCA WIND Program Director Shannalee Kuri detailed the organization’s involvement in the event was reaching out to community members who had lost loved ones to addiction to share their stories and pictures to “shed hope and light on overdose and break through the stigma.”
“Often, the family may not be ready to share, so we have speakers share their stories, and pictures will be displayed on the projector,” Kuri said. “Together, we can remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the family and friends left behind. It’s important to know that overdose can and must be prevented, and only a community-wide effort can end overdose.”
As community members collaborate to share the stories of loved ones who succumbed to their substance addiction, Kuri noted community organizations would also be collaborating to share their resources with individuals struggling with addiction.
“We’ve had organizations from different counties reach out to participate in the event, so we see many individuals come through to get resources,” Kuri said. “We also have a lot of conversations with attendees about why they are seeking out these resources. The event has made it easier to get people talking about addiction and how to combat it.”
In addition to the YWCA coordinating speakers for the event, the YSS has stepped up to organize the resource fair for families, friends and individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
Lauren Kotz, YSS Region One State Opioid Response Program Administrator, worked closely with the Ohio County IMPACT Coalition to coordinate community efforts to create the resource fair. The Ohio County IMPACT Coalition is made up of members from the community to mitigate substance use disorder within the community, particularly among the youth in the community.
Service organizations at the fair will include Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as treatment services and other local support services such as the Family Resource Network and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Wheeling.
Kotz noted that YSS will also be at the fair to connect individuals and families to peer-supportive services and program services that help combat substance misuse.
“The resource fair helps families understand that help is there,” Kotz noted. “We get families unaware of the resources available because connecting families to resources goes much further than treatment.”
Kotz added the difference maker in addiction recovery comes after treatment as a “continuum of care” is needed to provide a support system for those recovering from addiction after they have finished treatment.
The “continuum of care” includes someone who returns from recovery having access to support services, medication-assisted treatment and other basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter.
“Discover Recovery brings a light to the importance of having a continuum of care,” Kotz said. “People become aware there is help and are supported in this community.”
Just as community members will support each other through sharing loved ones’ addiction stories, Kotz noted it was necessary to connect those still in addiction to a greater community of care.
“In a nutshell, the opposite of addiction is connection, so when we’re connecting with people and giving them a support system, it makes them less likely to slip back into substance use disorder,” Kotz said. “It makes the families feel supported and have options and support navigating this difficult time they may be experiencing.”
In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside WVNCC. The resource fair will be held immediately after the building’s entrance, and the presentation will be held inside the auditorium.