WILMINGTON – The grassroots group Heart of Wilmington will hold an event this week, unveiling progress on several fronts in its fight against the region’s opioid epidemic.
Heart of Wilmington (HOW), founded last June, has been pursuing several ground-level approaches to combatting the crisis. The group started with small-scale “family dinners,” and has grown steadily. Now the group has partnered with Port City Community Church, the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition and others to reach out to those struggling with addiction, their families and the community at large.
Related stories on the opioid epidemic: Port City Daily’s series on the opioid epidemic
On Monday, Feb. 26, HOW’s latest family dinner will focus on destigmatizing addiction, including demonstrations on Narcan, and a look at the medical and biological reasons that opioid addictions are so powerful – and so difficult to overcome.
According to HOW member Pete Nemmers, the event will help fight negative public attitudes towards Narcan, the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
“One of HOW’s specific purposes is to reduce the stigma associated with addiction. This is why we invited NCHRC. They will be speaking on Narcan and completing a demonstration. Narcan has a very negative stigma associated with such a great lifesaving tool,” Nemmers said.
HOW will also be presenting an update on the group’s efforts to develop a smart-phone app called “Recovery Now.” The group has discussed the project from its founding days, and hopes it will provide a single source of information for those dealing with addiction and hoping to get into recovery programs. The group will also offer a sneak peek at their website, currently in development.
The event will also feature seven resource tables, offering a variety of free services to those dealing with addiction or in recovery; Narcan packs will also be available, free of charge.
The event will be held at Port City Community Church, located at 250 Vision Drive. The event will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with food provided, including pulled pork – served southeastern North Carolina vinegar style and with tomato-based barbecue sauce – as well as potato salad, baked beans and assorted drinks.
The tentative schedule of events is as follows:
- 6 p.m. – Event Begins: Food will be served, resource tables will be available
- 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. – North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition presentation
- 7:15 – 7:30 p.m. – Break
- 7:30 – 7:45 p.m. – Heart of Wilmington presentation
- 7:45 – 8:30 p.m. – Port City Community Church presentation
On the map: Port City Community Church
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