Down the street or perhaps down the hall is a loved one struggling with substance misuse. Under the best of times, the journey toward recovery is marked with challenges and difficulty; add a pandemic and for many this journey becomes nearly impossible.
Enter Claudia Hamilton, Executive Director for Living Proof, and her dedicated team to the supportive rescue. At Living Proof, Romans can find the support and resources they need while they shelter-in-place. Hamilton explains, “Our community finds itself bombarded. We have this pandemic crisis amongst a huge opioid crisis.” She describes a decline in the number of interactions since COVID-19 “We typically have between 1,800-2,000 interactions with our peers, but now it is more like 1,200. We are still meeting face-to-face with our coaches, setting appointments, and talking on the phone. Last week we put together an outreach project to help the motel corridor on Martha Berry Blvd. We picked up needles, and distributed Narcan kits.”