PATRICK ADRIAN
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BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — A coalition of organizations held a public forum and vigil Thursday night to get the community involved in efforts to tackle drug addiction.
“The ultimate goal tonight is for people to leave wanting to do something,” explained event volunteer Bill Stevens.
Held at the Bellow Falls Opera House, the two-hour forum included speakers with experiences around addiction and presentations from 15 local community organizations. The event was sponsored by the Bellows Falls Rotary Club, Turning Point Recover Center in Springfield, Vt., Greater Falls Connections and FACT-TV.
Co-host Michael Smith, board president of FACT-TV in Bellows Falls, referred to the area’s drug problem as “a community crisis.”
“The problem is not likely going to be solved by outside entities,” Smith told the audience. “The problem is only going to be solved in communities like ours here.”
Parent Richard Carrier shared his journey from losing a daughter to addiction in November to using his experience to inspire others to act. He recalled the change came when the question of what he could have done became “What am I going to do now?”
To Carrier, the community crisis lies in the disintegration of interaction and relationships. Particularly disturbing, he said, is seeing so many people similarly suffering by themselves instead of talking to one another.
“We’ve built walls around ourselves,” he told the audience. “We shut ourselves off because we are embarrassed; because we were frightened.”
“The opposite of addiction is connection,” said Deb Witkus, community outreach coordinator at Greater Falls Connections, a drug prevention group based in Bellows Falls. The organization maintains a broad network of families and community partners, collaborating with them to educate and empower others.
The event drew more than 200 attendees.
After the presentations, attendees were encouraged to visit tables to learn about volunteer opportunities with local organizations like Turning Point, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Windham County and Project Action, a Springfield youth program.
Organizers held a candlelight vigil outside the theater in the square. Carrier expressed gratitude and optimism for the strong turnout and knowing there are so many individuals and groups presently working to combat the crisis.
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