In August, families in Stephens County, GA, gathered in the town of Toccoa to light candles and release balloons in memory of loved ones lost to overdose. This is the fifth year of the Candlelight Memorial, which started after the community lost 19 people to fatal overdose in 2021.
The event was hosted by HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens, a community-based nonprofit coalition dedicated to preventing overdose and substance misuse, supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use and strengthening recovery resources throughout Stephens and Habersham counties. The memorial serves as a time to come together and have honest conversations about substance use and overdose without judgment or stigma while allowing the organization the opportunity to share educational materials and naloxone resources.
HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens saved my life.
“Our goal is to not only stop overdose but to work with people who have overdosed,” said Kathy Whitmire, executive director of HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens. “We want to help, and we want to give hope.”
As a connector, HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens brings together community partners, treatment and recovery organizations, law enforcement, schools, healthcare providers, local businesses, faith-based organizations and individuals with lived experience to address substance use from many different angles.
“We really try to be a starting point for individuals and families who may not know where to turn,” said Brandon Isbell, network development manager at HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens. “When someone reaches out to us, we help identify what they need and then work with them to find the right resources. We do not want to simply hand someone a phone number and send them on their way.”
Members of the community came together to light candles in memory of those they had lost to overdose.
HOPE For a Drug Free Stephens Staff (L-R): Danielle Johnson, transportation director; Brandon Isbell, network development manager; Kathy Whitmire, executive director; Cory Hilton, peer support specialist.
HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens is one of 18 rural coalitions participating in the Georgia Overdose Prevention Partnership (GOPP), supported by the CDC Foundation through funding from the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust. Through the project, they are receiving funding and technical assistance to strengthen local partnerships and expand overdose prevention and recovery efforts based on the needs of the community.
As part of this effort, HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens created the Community Overdose Action Team of Stephens (COATS), a post-overdose team that brings together law enforcement, EMS, hospitals and other partners, while providing peer support, counseling and substance use screenings.
“HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens saved my life,” said Erin Meadows, a survivor who now works on the COATS project. "I always knew there was a strong, courageous person inside me. I just couldn’t access that person. They didn’t give up on me.”
Kits were shared with attendees of both events that included naloxone, educational resources and swag.
Women of Worth Recovery (WOW), a partner of HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens also supported by the CDC Foundation, tabled at "Recovery Rocks the Park."
The community came together to play kickball as part of the “Recovery Rocks the Park” celebration.
Building on the success of the Candlelight Memorial, HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens hosted another event in September called “Recovery Rocks the Park.” While the Candlelight Memorial allowed the community to come together to remember those they had lost, “Recovery Rocks the Park” brought people out to celebrate recovery and have fun. The event included music, bounce houses and a kickball tournament, as well as access to recovery resources, naloxone distribution and training, and opportunities to connect with other local organizations, like Fight Abuse In The Home, Inc. (FAITH) and Women of Worth Recovery (WOW)—partners of HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens also supported by the CDC Foundation.
Our goal is to not only stop overdose but to work with people who have overdosed. We want to help, and we want to give hope.
There is a lot to celebrate. Since its inception in 2019, HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens has become an organization synonymous with recovery and healing, serving over 1,000 people in Stephens County.
"Recovery has taken over our community," said Danny Yearhood, chair of the board of directors at HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens. "Back when I went through recovery, a treatment center was hard to find. Finding somebody that supported recovery was not there. Now it's everywhere."
While challenges remain, recognizing the successes of those working to overcome addiction is an important part of the process—a role HOPE for a Drug Free Stephens is happy to help play a part in.
"Recovery is something worth celebrating,” said Isbell.
