While law enforcement actively works to combat the heroin epidemic, other efforts are under way to address rehabilitation. Stan and Valerie Rust, of the Richland County Starfish Project, noticed there were multiple faith-based rehabilitation programs but no comprehensive list or collaboration of Christian efforts to help people and their families break the binding chains of addiction.
Richland County Redemption, a Christ-centered resource for addicts, families and the community, hosted Saturday at Lexington Grace Brethren Church, 251 W. Main St., Lexington. The group is a collaborative effort of many governmental, faith-based organizations and criminal justice elements to address rehabilitation.
“Heroin addiction is just rampant,” Rust said. “It’s difficult to find someone who has not been effected by an addiction of some kind.”
Richland County Redemption is designed to be an annual event, hosted each year by a different participant, Rust said. There is also a Facebook page that, “is meant to be an evolving, help resource for those in need. Basically we want to list everyone here on that Facebook page and any other organization that helps with addicts and their families. So, if somebody needs help, they can go there and see all the help that’s available and choose one that’s just right for them.”
Organizations involved with Richland County Redemption include Teen Challenge of Greater Cleveland Praise Team; Firelands Teen Challenge Women’s Center; Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Brent Robinson; METRICH Drug Investigation Unit; Reformer’s Unanimous of Shelby; H.O.P.E. meetings of Ontario; Come to the Well Family Counseling; Catalyst Life Services/ New Beginnings; Starfish Project of Richland County; Celebrate Recovery;and 211. Food for the event was provided by donations and Feed His Family Ministries.
Pastor Murray of Teen Challenge of Greater Cleveland began the program of speakers with a charismatic robust biography of how he became involved with the program as a teen and then as an adult. Teen Challenge provides residential treatment for men ages 18 and up who want help with overcoming life controlling problems such as but not limited to drug and alcohol abuse.
“It’s really not about Teen Challenge,” Murray said. “It’s about Jesus.”
After Murray gave his testimony and information about Teen Challenge, a group of men sang praise songs. One of the Teen Challenge participants gave a testimony of his time spent in the program. Jason, from Maine, said he has dealt with a heroin addiction as well as alcohol. He credits faith-based rehabilitation organizations with helping him turn his life around.
“I’m very happy and I’m at peace with Jesus in my life,” he said.
Mike Leonard, director of Firelands Teen Challenge Women’s Center, was excited to talk about the much need 30-bed residential treatment facility for women soon to open in Willard.
“We saw the possibilities,” Leonard said of a visit he and his wife made to the old nursing home. “We saw the ground swell of support in the body of Christ and the overwhelming need in the region.”
Judge Robinson then addressed the fight on the war on drugs from a criminal justice point of view.
“I say a prayer every night because I have a job that is pretty tough because I have to make a lot of decisions and the decisions I make affect the entire community,” he said. “My number one job as judge is to protect you…but I also know that I have to be merciful, so if I can help someone without endangering the community that’s what I want to do. So I say prayers at night that the decisions I make are fair, just and right.”
Robinson operates specialty docket programs such as Drug Court and Re-Entry Court. The Drug Court has a 70 percent success rate, he said.
Perry Wheeler, a 21 year veteran with the Mansfield Police Department, spoke about the law enforcement side of drug abuse. Wheeler is a narcotics detective with METRICH, a multi-county drug task force. He said the drug task force has seized double the amount of heroin compared to this time last year. Gun seizures are also at an increase.
“We are working diligently but without citizen complaints and without the drug users giving us information, we wouldn’t be successful,” Wheeler said. He encouraged community members to call the crime line at 52CRIME to leave an anonymous tip of drug use or drug activity.
Kelly Stamper of H.O.P.E. Meetings in Ontario talked about starting a support group meeting for family members of those dealing with loved ones who have an addiction. Her daughter, Sydney, is a recovering heroin addict who has been clean for three years.
“It doesn’t matter which side of addiction you are on, whether you are the one sticking the needle in your arm or you’re the parent that’s up all night worried to death, we all need Jesus,” Stamper said.
Sydney Smith offered her story about battling addiction and offered hope to those dealing with an addiction as well as their family members.
“I am free. I no longer have to live bound by the chains of addiction,” Smith said. “My goal is to share how I came out of my addiction, that’s the important part.”
For more information on Richland County Redemption call 419-512-6878 or 419-512-6877.
Twitter: @angelnichole222
