Wow, what a great feeling it was having to pull 100 more chairs out of the storage room at the pavilion the other night! More than 300 people showed up for the meth workshop and it was a spectacular crowd! There were parents, school reps, teachers, city officials, state officials, meth addicts and their families, recovering addicts, law enforcement, business reps, chamber presidents and many young people at the event. It was encouraging to see that in Kosciusko County we are NOT going to take the meth problem lying down.
Of course the highlight of the night was our 3 very brave and sincere speakers who were willing to share their stories and their journeys through the world of meth addiction either first-hand or through a loved one. We were reminded how meth does not discriminate - it can draw in those of every age, race, gender, social status - and the one constant across these demographics is IT RUINS LIVES. Not only those of the addicts, but those around them who love them. Really, really big THANK YOUS go out to Kelsey, Susan and Ryan.
We also thank everyone who participated in and planned the event and a special thank you goes to Rich Haddad from the K21 Health Foundation for hosting the workshop. He kept everything flowing on time and handled the flow quite smoothly. We also thank our panel of experts who made themselves available for questions and answers as this was a big part of the program. Those that were willing to get up and make comments and ask questions are also appreciated greatly. Special thanks also to Tony Ciriello, Hoss, Holly, Vicki, Jennifer, Aaron and Rebecca Kubacki. Also, to the United Way, Times-Union, Lake City Radio and WNDU. (You can still see the news story about our event on WNDU.com!) We also thank our first recipient of our Retailer's Award, CVS in Syracuse who is going above and beyond to assist law enforcement in fighting the meth problem.
The very successful workshop was a great way to wind down our 2011 efforts in the fight against meth. But we're not done yet - we're never done. 2012 will bring more workshops, a new ad campaign including billboards, presentations and continued collaboration among the many facets of our community who have decided NOT to allow meth to kill what we have here. KUDOS to Kosciusko County - we're leading the fight and we've just begun to charge over that hill......
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Family Support Group Rallies
Last year, the Meth Awareness Partnership established a family support group for families of meth addicts. The initial roll-out of the group was responded to by a large number of people. That was good.
But the initial message the group received for how the support group would function was a little clouded. The simple notion of providing a forum, a small room, a gathering place, for where family members, who all suffer similarly from the effects of having a meth addict in their lives, could come together to share their feelings, concerns, tears, stories, hugs, etc. must have eluded us somehow at first.
But with the perserverance of Annie Zartman and Penny Burgess, the group has rallied and is now back stronger and better than ever! These gals have made a commitment to keep the group going and to be there for those in need in spite of lower attendance numbers. They meet every Tuesday evening at the First Chrsitian Church, located at 115 Park Ridge Drive, Warsaw, at 6:30 pm. Celebrate Recovery also meets there following the family support group.
They have named the revised group " Families Against Meth" or FAM. Their main goal is to help promote hope and healing for those whose lives have been touched and/or devastated by the meth problem. They are not designed to work with the addicts as other groups provide a forum for them. But they are well-prepared to work with families and friends of meth addicts.
They both have been personally touched by the problem, both having sons who suffer from meth addiction. Their understanding and experience, coupled with resources and materials for family members, provides a valuable outlet for family members who feel alone, lost and scared. They always say the best therapy is to relate to others who share your pain.
They offer:
SUPPORT; EDUCATION; HOPE; FRIENDSHIP; RESPECT; ANONYMITY; EXPERIENCE; PATIENCE; TIME; COMPASSION; UNDERSTANDING; HONESTY
If you know someone who could benefit from this support group, please contact Annie at 574-551-8308, or Penny at 574-377-2395. They are waiting....
But the initial message the group received for how the support group would function was a little clouded. The simple notion of providing a forum, a small room, a gathering place, for where family members, who all suffer similarly from the effects of having a meth addict in their lives, could come together to share their feelings, concerns, tears, stories, hugs, etc. must have eluded us somehow at first.
But with the perserverance of Annie Zartman and Penny Burgess, the group has rallied and is now back stronger and better than ever! These gals have made a commitment to keep the group going and to be there for those in need in spite of lower attendance numbers. They meet every Tuesday evening at the First Chrsitian Church, located at 115 Park Ridge Drive, Warsaw, at 6:30 pm. Celebrate Recovery also meets there following the family support group.
They have named the revised group " Families Against Meth" or FAM. Their main goal is to help promote hope and healing for those whose lives have been touched and/or devastated by the meth problem. They are not designed to work with the addicts as other groups provide a forum for them. But they are well-prepared to work with families and friends of meth addicts.
They both have been personally touched by the problem, both having sons who suffer from meth addiction. Their understanding and experience, coupled with resources and materials for family members, provides a valuable outlet for family members who feel alone, lost and scared. They always say the best therapy is to relate to others who share your pain.
They offer:
SUPPORT; EDUCATION; HOPE; FRIENDSHIP; RESPECT; ANONYMITY; EXPERIENCE; PATIENCE; TIME; COMPASSION; UNDERSTANDING; HONESTY
If you know someone who could benefit from this support group, please contact Annie at 574-551-8308, or Penny at 574-377-2395. They are waiting....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Igniting the Passion is Half the Battle - Meet Barb and Lillian
Wow. I love it when I meet new people and they inspire me so much :) That's what happened at our Meth Awareness Partnership meeting the other day.
There were 2 new faces at the table and they were that of two lovely women who sat quietly at the end of the table. I must admit, rather ashamed of my assumptions, that at first I thought these ladies had come into our meeting room in error. Maybe they thought this was another meeting and got lost in the restaurant?
All of those thoughts were easily dispelled as soon as I walked over, introduced myself and began to speak with them. What energy! What positive attitudes! Not to sound cliche, but if their passion and commitment could be formed as sun rays, I would have needed some strong sunglasses :) I was delighted they were there.
Not only did they present excellent ideas and share enthusiastically with the group about the efforts they had been pursuing, they also brought a new energy to the room and brought smiles to our faces. Barb and Lillian have formed a Neighborhood Watch group in their area of the county because they were tired of seeing meth use and abuse so prevalent in their neighborhood. They are very serious about it! They shared stories involving night goggles and being out at 3 AM, which is not something we encourage for safety and protective reasons, but certainly reflects their level of commitment!
We have tried to get our Neighborhood Meth Watch program off the ground in this county and have signs and materials for groups that wish to pursue this. We have had only one neighborhood step forward and take a proactive approach so far. This entailed putting up Meth Watch signs, a neighborhood training meeting on what to watch for, and what to do/who to call if there was suspected activity (the police!)
With these two leading the charge, it seems we will have the enthusiasm needed to get these neighborhood programs expanded. They are a gleaming example of what can be done when there is passion for what you do. And that is indeed at least half the battle if not more. You go, girls!!
There were 2 new faces at the table and they were that of two lovely women who sat quietly at the end of the table. I must admit, rather ashamed of my assumptions, that at first I thought these ladies had come into our meeting room in error. Maybe they thought this was another meeting and got lost in the restaurant?
All of those thoughts were easily dispelled as soon as I walked over, introduced myself and began to speak with them. What energy! What positive attitudes! Not to sound cliche, but if their passion and commitment could be formed as sun rays, I would have needed some strong sunglasses :) I was delighted they were there.
Not only did they present excellent ideas and share enthusiastically with the group about the efforts they had been pursuing, they also brought a new energy to the room and brought smiles to our faces. Barb and Lillian have formed a Neighborhood Watch group in their area of the county because they were tired of seeing meth use and abuse so prevalent in their neighborhood. They are very serious about it! They shared stories involving night goggles and being out at 3 AM, which is not something we encourage for safety and protective reasons, but certainly reflects their level of commitment!
We have tried to get our Neighborhood Meth Watch program off the ground in this county and have signs and materials for groups that wish to pursue this. We have had only one neighborhood step forward and take a proactive approach so far. This entailed putting up Meth Watch signs, a neighborhood training meeting on what to watch for, and what to do/who to call if there was suspected activity (the police!)
With these two leading the charge, it seems we will have the enthusiasm needed to get these neighborhood programs expanded. They are a gleaming example of what can be done when there is passion for what you do. And that is indeed at least half the battle if not more. You go, girls!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
No Sudafed for you!
Yesterday evening I was at the Wal-Mart pharmacy, waiting in line, picking up my mom's new heart meds. She's been really sick and i've been really stressed and after working all day, I knew I was faced with seeing her and talking her through her medications - which she hates. I was standing behind a young man, a slender kid, maybe late teens, early 20's. I wasn't there to judge anyone, and as much as I had on my mind, I'm surprised I noticed him at all.
What maybe caught my eye was his demeanor. He seemed nervous, restless. He kept looking around. He sighed, rubbed his arms and looked around again. Something hit me instinctively. I still wasn't trying to judge him, but I was sure he was there because of meth. I thought to myself, this kid is here for Sudafed. And I wasn't frustrated with him as much as I was the system and the fact that he still has this ability to roll up on this WalMart store and "score' PSE. After the battle at the Indiana Statehouse earlier this year over this issue, I just stood there a little miffed.
Not only was I stressed about my mom, now I was going to have to stand there and watch this transaction. I know these purchases go on everyday, everywhere, but this just felt like a slap in the face. I can't even imagine how our law enforcement feels. All the dedicated work they do day and night and here was this obvious meth user, smurf, meth cook, whatever lining up as easy as buying a gallon of milk.
He was next. The clerk asked him some questions and then she went to a back counter and picked up a box of Sudafed. She said, I need your ID. He got it out and mumbled to her "I'm good with the cops." She checked his ID and then went back to speak with the pharmacist and they looked on line. then she returned to the counter and handed him back his ID. She told him she was sorry, he may be good with the cops, but he wasn't good there and he couldn't make the purchase.
I perked up. I stood there wanting to clap, or yell something, or cheer, or high 5 the clerk. It was one simple act and yet I felt it stood for something. Maybe there is a system in place that is helping. Because I had not had much faith in the tracking system. And maybe that kid will go grab an alternate ID, travel down the road to another pharmacy and still get his PSE. I know he'll still get meth if he wants it. But in that moment, in that 10 square feet around the Walmart pharmacy, I felt a sense of victory. Certainly not like we had won the war, or even a battle for that matter. But it felt like we are maybe headed in the right direction - it's just going to be a much longer journey than I ever imagined.
And my spirits were lifted. I got through the conversation with my mom. I felt a refreshed sense of hope, both for her, and for our meth efforts.
What maybe caught my eye was his demeanor. He seemed nervous, restless. He kept looking around. He sighed, rubbed his arms and looked around again. Something hit me instinctively. I still wasn't trying to judge him, but I was sure he was there because of meth. I thought to myself, this kid is here for Sudafed. And I wasn't frustrated with him as much as I was the system and the fact that he still has this ability to roll up on this WalMart store and "score' PSE. After the battle at the Indiana Statehouse earlier this year over this issue, I just stood there a little miffed.
Not only was I stressed about my mom, now I was going to have to stand there and watch this transaction. I know these purchases go on everyday, everywhere, but this just felt like a slap in the face. I can't even imagine how our law enforcement feels. All the dedicated work they do day and night and here was this obvious meth user, smurf, meth cook, whatever lining up as easy as buying a gallon of milk.
He was next. The clerk asked him some questions and then she went to a back counter and picked up a box of Sudafed. She said, I need your ID. He got it out and mumbled to her "I'm good with the cops." She checked his ID and then went back to speak with the pharmacist and they looked on line. then she returned to the counter and handed him back his ID. She told him she was sorry, he may be good with the cops, but he wasn't good there and he couldn't make the purchase.
I perked up. I stood there wanting to clap, or yell something, or cheer, or high 5 the clerk. It was one simple act and yet I felt it stood for something. Maybe there is a system in place that is helping. Because I had not had much faith in the tracking system. And maybe that kid will go grab an alternate ID, travel down the road to another pharmacy and still get his PSE. I know he'll still get meth if he wants it. But in that moment, in that 10 square feet around the Walmart pharmacy, I felt a sense of victory. Certainly not like we had won the war, or even a battle for that matter. But it felt like we are maybe headed in the right direction - it's just going to be a much longer journey than I ever imagined.
And my spirits were lifted. I got through the conversation with my mom. I felt a refreshed sense of hope, both for her, and for our meth efforts.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Methed Up!
Have everyone seen the news lately? Meth this, meth that. Seems the more we gear up to fight it, the more of it comes crawling out of the shadows. Kudos to our law enforcement!
Anyone who is reading the stories has to find them disturbing. A meth addict throwing up "black stuff" dies later that night. His friends dump him out in the country by the roadside in the middle of winter. Nice. Recent meth bust resulted in child protective services to remove the children. A meth bust at a local hotel found 2 sawed-off shot guns in the room. REALLY?
This is Kosciusko County Indiana and this sounds like scenes from Law n Order, CSI or Miami Vice (sorry, I'm old enough to remember that show). You would think this was a large metro area from the sounds of these crimes!
They tout our community as "orthopedic capital of the world." We entice people to visit here to enjoy the beauty and pleasure of our 100+ lakes. We take pride in all the "extras" offered here: beautiful golf courses, theatres, CCAC athletic complex, schools, the arts. Did you know that people who live across the county lines from us are starting to think of Kosciusko as "that meth county."
Some argue we don't have as big of a problem as it seems. That we have a proactive drug task force and the media focuses on it too much. The task force is doing a great job and thank goodness they are here! The media is just reporting what's happening - they are a reflection of the realities. What do YOU think??
Anyone who is reading the stories has to find them disturbing. A meth addict throwing up "black stuff" dies later that night. His friends dump him out in the country by the roadside in the middle of winter. Nice. Recent meth bust resulted in child protective services to remove the children. A meth bust at a local hotel found 2 sawed-off shot guns in the room. REALLY?
This is Kosciusko County Indiana and this sounds like scenes from Law n Order, CSI or Miami Vice (sorry, I'm old enough to remember that show). You would think this was a large metro area from the sounds of these crimes!
They tout our community as "orthopedic capital of the world." We entice people to visit here to enjoy the beauty and pleasure of our 100+ lakes. We take pride in all the "extras" offered here: beautiful golf courses, theatres, CCAC athletic complex, schools, the arts. Did you know that people who live across the county lines from us are starting to think of Kosciusko as "that meth county."
Some argue we don't have as big of a problem as it seems. That we have a proactive drug task force and the media focuses on it too much. The task force is doing a great job and thank goodness they are here! The media is just reporting what's happening - they are a reflection of the realities. What do YOU think??
Friday, June 17, 2011
How Do We Say It?
On Friday, June 3, the Meth Awareness Partnership set up a booth at the First Friday event in downtown Warsaw. We had information available regarding our services, but we also set up a table with a one-pot meth lab (inert), meth ingredients, meth trash and some real pictures from explosions, fires and injuries around Kosciusko County.
We noticed that the table of items began to attract a lot of people, including many young people. It was interesting because we would quiz them about meth, meth labs and it was eye-opening to hear what they knew, didn't know, etc. But we also found we had a challenge.
Most of them began nodding their heads when they heard "drugs" mentioned because we do a good job of educating our kids about drugs in this community. The DARE program in the schools has been around a long time and they do a wonderful job. So we did not know how to say this in the RIGHT WAY:
"There are lots of bad drugs out there, but whatever you do, DON'T ever try METH. Not even once." And we would explain why. But the challenge was to be careful not to give the impression that the other drugs are OK. We didn't say, "If you gotta try drugs, go ahead, but just stay away from meth." But we thought they might be hearing that message the more we emphasized the dangers of meth. The message is a general anti-drug message as always, but we want them to be highly informed about what ingredients go into making meth, how it affects the body, the mind, the permanancy of the effects, and probably most importantly, just how incredibly addictive it is.
We spoke with many parents and concerned citizens also. The table spoke for itself. Camp fuel, lithium batteries, drain cleaner, sudafed..........yes, these are items that go into your body when you use meth. Some visitors to our booth spent a good deal of time just looking, looking and thinking. And we hope the message got through. How do we tell them? Maybe a picture really is worth a thousand words.
We noticed that the table of items began to attract a lot of people, including many young people. It was interesting because we would quiz them about meth, meth labs and it was eye-opening to hear what they knew, didn't know, etc. But we also found we had a challenge.
Most of them began nodding their heads when they heard "drugs" mentioned because we do a good job of educating our kids about drugs in this community. The DARE program in the schools has been around a long time and they do a wonderful job. So we did not know how to say this in the RIGHT WAY:
"There are lots of bad drugs out there, but whatever you do, DON'T ever try METH. Not even once." And we would explain why. But the challenge was to be careful not to give the impression that the other drugs are OK. We didn't say, "If you gotta try drugs, go ahead, but just stay away from meth." But we thought they might be hearing that message the more we emphasized the dangers of meth. The message is a general anti-drug message as always, but we want them to be highly informed about what ingredients go into making meth, how it affects the body, the mind, the permanancy of the effects, and probably most importantly, just how incredibly addictive it is.
We spoke with many parents and concerned citizens also. The table spoke for itself. Camp fuel, lithium batteries, drain cleaner, sudafed..........yes, these are items that go into your body when you use meth. Some visitors to our booth spent a good deal of time just looking, looking and thinking. And we hope the message got through. How do we tell them? Maybe a picture really is worth a thousand words.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Meth Awareness Launch!
Welcome back to everyone who has so faithfully followed our Meth Awareness Partnership and our efforts to solve the drug problems in our community.
After the Indiana legislation chose not to pass House Bill 1030 making Sudafed-type products available by prescription only this past winter, we retreated a bit and licked our wounds. It was a disappointing defeat in legislation.
But after careful thought about the problem, we re-banded, rebounded and are now back stronger than ever to continue fighting the meth problems in Kosciusko County.
Starting today, MAP has launched a Meth Awareness Campaign which includes billboards, radio and newspaper ads, and meth news stories. The web site, killingacommunity.com has been completely updated and has many useful tools for addicts, families, parents, teens and concerned citizens.
The MAP group continues to offer:
Awareness and Education
A link to services, meetings in our community
Family Support Group
Neighborhood Watch
In-Jail Recovery Project
Teens and Parents Education
Meth Awareness Workshops
Meth projects with surrounding counties
Meth legislation and State liaison
Please watch for the billboards and other advertising, visit our web site, get involved! We need the community to help fight this devastating drug that threatens to kill our community. As the drug task force says, "If there's a devil among us, it's meth."
Add your comments! We want to have an active blog site so we can keep these important conversations going!
After the Indiana legislation chose not to pass House Bill 1030 making Sudafed-type products available by prescription only this past winter, we retreated a bit and licked our wounds. It was a disappointing defeat in legislation.
But after careful thought about the problem, we re-banded, rebounded and are now back stronger than ever to continue fighting the meth problems in Kosciusko County.
Starting today, MAP has launched a Meth Awareness Campaign which includes billboards, radio and newspaper ads, and meth news stories. The web site, killingacommunity.com has been completely updated and has many useful tools for addicts, families, parents, teens and concerned citizens.
The MAP group continues to offer:
Awareness and Education
A link to services, meetings in our community
Family Support Group
Neighborhood Watch
In-Jail Recovery Project
Teens and Parents Education
Meth Awareness Workshops
Meth projects with surrounding counties
Meth legislation and State liaison
Please watch for the billboards and other advertising, visit our web site, get involved! We need the community to help fight this devastating drug that threatens to kill our community. As the drug task force says, "If there's a devil among us, it's meth."
Add your comments! We want to have an active blog site so we can keep these important conversations going!
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