Trending
PARKERSBURG -- A faith-based initiative to fight substance abuse announced Wednesday by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey will kick off next week in Parkersburg.
Morrisey unveiled "Combating Addiction with Grace" at a press conference Wednesday in Charleston, saying its purpose is to empower religious groups to help in efforts to stem the tide of the drug epidemic. This could take the form of pastors speaking to vulnerable members of the community, churches and faith-based organizations helping to connect people in need to recovery resources or direct treatment through faith-based programs, he said.
"The ultimate goal is to have many hundreds of pastors and hundreds of additional individuals as part of a faith-based network, helping people out in a variety of different ways," Morrisey said in a video released by his office.
"These are individuals that are trying to address problems in their communities," he said. "They're already doing a lot of incredible things to help in this area."
The initiative is simply another tool in the toolbox, Morrisey said, adding recovery is equally as important as enforcement when it comes to drug abuse.
"Unless we can change people's heads and change people's hearts, we're not going to solve this problem," he said.
Regional meetings are being organized to connect faith leaders with law enforcement, first responders, residential treatment services and local substance abuse groups among others, according to a release from Morrisey's office. Resources to help those struggling with opioid abuse and addiction will also be provided.
It builds on work from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Morrisey said, referring back to events held last year that included a conference in Williamstown featuring himself, his Ohio counterpart Mike DeWine and local government, medical and church leaders.
The first "Combating Addiction with Grace" gathering is slated for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at South Parkersburg Baptist Church on Blizzard Drive. Morrisey said 130 people are already signed up for the event, about half of them pastors.
South Parkersburg Baptist congregational care Pastor Joe Busch said he appreciates the attorney general's office reaching out to the faith community.
"While other state and local agencies provide crucial services to those lives impacted by addiction, it has always been the church's mission to reach out to the broken in spirit, to offer hope and a future, for only God can change the human heart," he said in a release from the attorney general's office.
In an interview Wednesday, Busch noted the church is already involved in a New Life ministry that provides support and long-term mentoring for women affected by human-trafficking and drug addiction. He said the church was approached by Parkersburg Police about starting such a program.
Parkersburg Police Chief Joe Martin said the inclusion of faith-based entities is "a great and much-needed component from a community standpoint.
"There's not a church in America that hasn't been affected" by the drug epidemic, Martin said. "I think they can put their hand on the rope with all the churches together to try to make a difference to these people, spiritually."
Martin, Wood County Sheriff Steve Stephens and Wood County 911 Director Rick Woodyard are scheduled to participate in a panel discussion at Tuesday's event.
There is limited space for the event, so those wishing to attend are asked to contact Brooke Albright at 304-777-9906 or Brooke.E.Albright@wvago.gov.
The release said the "Combating Addiction with Grace" initiative is part of a holistic approach advocated by the attorney general that also includes criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, increased funding, multistate partnerships, new technology, awareness initiatives, drug incinerators and drop boxes to dispose of unwanted/expired prescriptions, as well as a best practices toolkit.