Please join us on September 18th for our Walk for Recovery. We will be joining forces with MOAR for Recovery Day, but would like to make the walk our own in Southie! We will begin at 8:00 am at the District C-6 police station and walk to City Hall Plaza to join up with MOAR. Complimentary breakfast and t-shirts to the first 50 walkers. We hope you can make it! 
Friday, August 31st, 2012 is International Overdose Awareness Day. Honor loved ones lost to overdose from alcohol and other drugs and learn how to use Narcan, a life-saving tool.
Thursday, August 30th: Boston Citywide Overdose Vigil, Copley Square, 7-9pm
Friday, August 31st: Drop-in overdose prevention training, Tierney Learning Center (125 Mercer St., South Boston), 12-4pm
Next week, the Hope and Recovery Coalition is sponsoring two overdose prevention trainings.
Option 1: Tuesday, July 31 at 6pm at the Tierney Learning Center (125 Mercer St, South Boston)
Option 2: Wednesday, August 1 at 6pm at the Condon School (200 D St, South Boston)
Narcan will be distributed to those that enroll. If you work in South Boston, please help us spread the word that these trainings are happening! If you would like to distribute fliers, please see the contact information below:
Questions? Call (617) 534-9500 or e-mail susanna.e.cooper@gmail.com
AHOPE, a program of the Boston Public Health Commission will be sponsoring their 2nd annual overdose vigil on August 30th from 7-9 pm in Copley Square. This event is not to be confused with the South Boston overdose vigil, which will be happening in September. If you’re interested in more information or to help with the planning of this event, please contact Susanna Cooper, Coalition Coordinator at (617) 534-9500.
On Tuesday June 19th from 6-7:30pm at Dorchester Heights, Hope and Recovery will be sponsoring an event to celebrate those in recovery and offer hope for community members, families, and friends who are struggling with addiction. We find that there is a great disconnect between the community and the services available. This event will hopefully bridge that gap. You can see the Facebook invitation here: http://www.facebook.com/events/216363841817872/
For more information, please call (617) 534-9500 or e-mail info@hopeandrecovery.org
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is on Saturday April 28th from 10am to 2pm! Teenagers too often start abusing prescription drugs because they have easy access to them in their own home. You can bring your old prescription drugs to the Boston Police Department at Area C-6, 101 West Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127 or visit this site to find a location closest to you: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html Please take advantage of this initiative and fight prescription drug abuse!
Our coalition is currently overseeing a peer to peer program for overdose prevention. The coalition coordinator will train parents of active users in overdose prevention skills and knowledge; these parents will then agree to educate three other parents (their peers) in South Boston. These individuals will then come to the Collaborative Center and take a 10 question test. For every correctly answered question, their peer educator gets 10 dollars! It’s that simple. Individuals involved in this program can receive up to 50 dollars– 10 for initial enrollment, 30 for 3 tests with perfect scores, and a final 10 for follow up. Interested? Call (617) 534-9500 for more information!
As a coalition, we are currently looking at our mission statement and trying to make changes that best reflect our current and future efforts. Our current mission statement is:
“To free the South Boston community from the abuse of harmful substances and to promote healthy lifestyles. Our priorities include:
-Promoting an education an awareness campaign
-Advocacy
-Fundraising for increased services
-Partnering with law enforcement and the court system
-Partnering with others in the community to raise awareness and create change”
What do you think?? Where should we go from here? Please send your ideas to susanna.e.cooper@gmail.com
Are you a concerned parent interested in a free opiate overdose prevention training? Call the South Boston Collaborative Center at (617) 534.9500 to schedule a Friday appointment. Ask for Susanna Cooper. Would you rather receive a free training at home? Call (617) 212.5610. Ask for Sarah Mackin. Fatal overdoses are happening all too frequently in our community. While our new initiative focuses on parents of active users in South Boston, these trainings are not exclusive. Get the free education and save a life!
Risk for overdose increases with a decrease in tolerance. That is, if you or someone you know has been recently released from prison or a rehab facility, the risk for overdose is signficantly higher. Starting in January, we will be offering regular overdose prevention trainings at the South Boston Collaborative Center at least three days a week and at multiple times throughout the day. If you or someone you love is at risk for overdose, or if you are interested in learning more about overdose prevention, please contact Susanna Cooper at (617) 534.9500 or susanna.e.cooper@gmail.com
More information to come about dates and times for trainings. Happy holidays!