2 dozen agencies to offer addiction resources at Centre County fair

BELLEFONTE — Two dozen participants have announced they will be in attendance at the HOPE Remembrance Ceremony and Addiction Resource Fair, scheduled at Match Factory Place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29.

“We want to hold this event to get people who are dealing with heroin and opioid abuse, in some form or another, the help they need,” said Gene Lauri, director of Centre County’s Criminal Justice Planning Department, noting the county had 21 deaths attributed to opioid overdoses last year and have five this year. “I think we have a pretty good list of service providers and agencies that will be there.”
According to Lauri, those attending include: Centre County HOPE Initiative, Centre County MH/IF Office, Centre County Drug and Alcohol Office, Mount Nittany Medical Center Department of Emergency Medical Services, Pyramid HealthCare Residential Treatment Facility, Pyramid HealthCare/Quest Services Outpatient Counseling and White Deer Run/Cove Forge/Bowling Green Residential Treatment Facilities.

Also, Crossroads Counseling, Clear Concepts Counseling, State College Medical, Can Help, Community Help Centre–Parents of Addicted Children Come Together program, Centre County Youth Services Bureau, St. Joseph’s Institute Residential Treatment Facility and Penn State Collegiate Recovery Community.

Also, United Against Heroin Addiction, Department of Veterans Affairs, The Ambassadors Program, Table for Those Impacted by Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Centre County district attorney and law enforcement representatives and Centre County Probation and correctional facility representatives.

Lauri said this will be the fifth event sponsored by HOPE with the intention of bettering the public’s understanding of heroin and opioid addiction.

HOPE has sponsored four town hall meetings concerning the heroin and opioid epidemic in Centre County. He said each of these meetings had a different subject; however, they were all designed as a way experts from various fields could discuss different aspects of addiction, recovery and treatment. This one will be more personal.

“What we want to do … is have people come in and interact with different groups that offer treatment and recovery,” Lauri said. “We want these people to get some one-on-one time with some service providers so they can talk about the issues they are dealing with, and what are the best ways to deal with them.”

A Candlelight Remembrance Ceremony for loved ones lost to the disease of addiction will serve as a precursor for the resource fair. The candlelight vigil will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

As part of the remembrance ceremony, there will be a memorial wall where photos of loved ones lost can be displayed. To submit a photo of a loved one, email contact@centrecountyhope.org by Monday, March 27.

This event is free and open to the community. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, visit www.centrecountyhope.org.