The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (91香蕉视频) will host an event acknowledging the strength and resilience of local residents who are in recovery from addiction.
Celebrating Recovery will take place at 5 p.m., Sept. 10, at the school鈥檚 Clingman Center for Community Engagement in downtown Lewisburg. Members of the public are invited to attend.
Jennifer Crane, a peer recovery support specialist in 91香蕉视频鈥檚 Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH), has been organizing similar, private events for members of the local recovery community and their families every month since March. She said her goals in opening this Celebrating Recovery event to the public are twofold.
鈥淚 want this to be a celebration of those who have attended our past events, and a way to honor their recovery,鈥 Crane said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also an opportunity for people in Lewisburg and other nearby areas to see what recovery is and, hopefully, learn how they can make a difference. They鈥檒l meet people who are in recovery and hear stories from individuals who have battled addiction and survived. People in any type of recovery are welcome, not just substance use; it could be recovery from an eating disorder, gambling, or anything.鈥
Besides Crane, speakers will include West Virginia State Sen. Stephen Baldwin; Drema Hill, Ph.D., MSP, 91香蕉视频鈥檚 vice president for community engagement and development; and Chad Poage, D.O., a 91香蕉视频 alumnus who will share his own experience with the recovery process.
Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and to share personal stories involving addiction and recovery.
Baldwin said he is participating in the event because it offers community members a way to help fight addiction.
鈥淲e have a chance to save lives,鈥 he said. 鈥淪ubstance use may be running rampant, but recovery is real. People who want to recover can [do so] thanks to the love and support of their communities. Every single person is precious, and each day is a new opportunity.鈥
Crane said the event also will serve as a forum to discuss ways community members can address addiction and recovery. She noted that confronting these issues requires communities to take steps they might find difficult at first, citing a town in Greenbrier County in which some residents are voicing resistance to the opening of a recovery home.
鈥淐ommunities in West Virginia want change. But in order for that to happen, it鈥檚 important for people to step up and be a part of that change. My hope is that coming together will allow us to talk about some of the things that are necessary in order to make our communities stronger,鈥 Crane said.
Celebrating Recovery is sponsored by 91香蕉视频鈥檚 CRCH, Community Connections and the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network.