People who work with various local substance abuse treatment facilities and programs appeared before the Wood County Commission Thursday. The commission approved a proclamation declaring September as “Wood County Goes Purple” month in support of National Recovery Month and recognizing those working to overcome mental health and substance use disorders as well as to celebrate those in recovery. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission will be recognizing September as “Wood County Goes Purple” month in support of National Recovery Month and those working to overcome mental health and substance use disorders as well as to celebrate those in recovery.

More than 20 people, many wearing purple shirts in support of the cause, appeared before the commission to talk about the Hope Dealer Project, founded in 2015, and the West Virginia Goes Purple movement, launched in 2023.

West Virginia Goes Purple is a unified, statewide initiative to raise awareness about substance use, reduce stigma and support recovery, said Steven Belisky, a local West Virginia Goes Purple ambassador.

“In 2023, West Virginia began its journey to make history as the first state in the nation to officially unite all 55 counties under one recovery movement — going purple together,” he said.

The West Virginia Goes Purple movement is led by founder and Executive Director Tara Mayson, who officially launched the statewide campaign then, with endorsements from state and national leaders.

“As a born-and-raised, die-hard Mountaineer, Tara’s passion is deeply rooted in reclaiming our state’s identity … and taking our state back from the label of having the highest overdose rate in the nation,” Belisky said. “The mission is to shift the narrative so that West Virginia is no longer known for tragedy, but for being the first state in U.S. history to unite across all 55 counties in recovery, awareness and hope.”

The initiative isn’t about one organization, it’s about communities, counties and individuals coming together to break the silence, save lives and celebrate recovery, Belisky said.

The group is encouraging people in their communities to display purple lights and purple ribbons and participate in community events and outreach efforts.

“Every purple display becomes a beacon of hope,” Belisky said. “We invite everyone to participate by lighting homes, schools, offices and landmarks in purple, sharing recovery stories, wearing purple and engaging on social media throughout September.

“Soon enough, our story will no longer be written by overdose statistics but by our strength, our recovery and our unstoppable hope.”

Belisky said everyone who appeared Thursday before the commission works in some way with the recovery field and it is important to everyone who was there. Commission President Blair Couch said Wood County is leading the charge in recovery as it has 26% of the recovery beds in the state. He wants to see it expand into other counties around the state.

“Our hope is other counties will open up facilities,” he said. “If you want to recover, you have to change the people, places and things you do.”

There are many programs in the area with both short-term and long-term programs from 28 days to over 14 months, depending on needs.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo conveyed the worries some people have in the community that once here people going through recovery might end up staying here, especially if they do not complete the program. He was also concerned about whether local people needing recovery services are being served as opposed to people coming in from outside the area.

Belisky said many of the people who come here from other places eventually want to return and many of the local centers work to make that happen.

Couch said what they really want is “quality recovery services.” There have been some that are motivated purely by profit like a number of facilities in Florida that did not effectively help people and that is a fear in West Virginia.

“I can personally vouch that no one in this room is going to let that happen,” Belisky said. “Recovery is about helping people find their way out of the darkness and we are here to do that.”

In their proclamation, the commission said National Recovery Month is held every September to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders, and to celebrate those in recovery for their strength and perseverance.

“The color purple has been used to symbolize the struggle taking place in communities across the country as individuals, families, health care providers, and law enforcement agencies face the growing crisis of opioid abuse,” the proclamation said. “Wood County Goes Purple is an awareness campaign focused on prevention, treatment and recovery resources available in the community and will emphasize the role local agencies play in combating this epidemic.

“Wood County Goes Purple strives to promote conversations around the dangers of substance misuse and abuse and encourages the community to take a stand against it.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.