NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — HEALing Communities North Adams will hold this year's Rally for Recovery on Saturday, Oct. 7, at First Baptist Church.

 

This was rescheduled from Sept. 30 because of rain. 

 

The celebration will held in the church's community room at 131 Main St. from 1 to 3 p.m.

 

There will be a resource fair with information for individuals and families related to prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. Activities will include speakers, including recovery coach Caitlin McKinnon, sharing information on lived experiences and about the upcoming Peer Recovery Center.  

 

At 3 p.m., all are welcome to gather together to join together to walk to City Hall in a show of community and group support, weather dependent.

 

National Recovery Month, which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support treatment and recovery practices, the nation's recovery community and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery, in all of its forms, possible. HEALing Communities continues the recovery celebration into October.

 

The "Helping to End Addiction Long-term" initiative is being undertaken by the National Institutes of Health and covers 67 communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. Scientists from the nation's leading health agencies and four major academic institutions are partnering with these communities to test a set of interventions to combat the opioid crisis. 

 

Both North Adams and Pittsfield communities were selected for this program, due to the crisis level of opioids in those communities. More than 20 coalition partners have come together to provide "boots on the ground" solutions to combating substance use disorder. Boston Medical Center's research team is leading the Bay State aspect.