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Thurmont Addiction Commission Begins 2019 Year with Busy Planning Session

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The Thurmont Addiction Commission (TAC) held its first monthly commission meeting of 2019 on January 10 at the Thurmont Town Office.  Discussions included a review of 2018 events hosted by TAC, as well as planning and scheduling for 2019 events as suggested by those in attendance at the meeting. All commission monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month and are open to the public. The next meeting will be held February 14, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.

The TAC works within the community, as a community, to fight addiction. TAC’s efforts work through the three pillars: Education and Awareness, Support and Recovery, and Prevention and Outreach. Each pillar lead holds workshops and planning sessions throughout the month to address the needs of the community. Any individual interested in volunteering at events or as part of a pillar, please contact Ed Schildt at 240-285-8079 or attend a meeting.

TAC will kick off the 2019 Speaker Series on February 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Thurmont Town Office on East Main Street in Thurmont. The guest speaker will be Teri Austin, founder of Austin Addiction and Mental Health Center in Frederick. The topic for the evening will be pain management options, education, and knowledge to support navigation through addiction and recovery.

Please join TAC for this very important speaker series and discussion on Feburary 21. Future Speaker Series dates will be April 18 and June 20, with guest speakers and topics to be determined.

The commission is currently finalizing a resource guide that will be available to the community in the near future to assist anyone looking for information and resources to support someone seeking recovery resources.

There are also preliminary plans to host fun days and sober events throughout the year. Please look for more details in the future.

TAC recognizes two important groups of organized citizens that are developing powerful programs and services in the community.

The Music is Medicine Foundation, founded by Chastity Fox, will soon open “The Path Peer Recovery Community Center,” which will provide space for professional counseling services, as well as support groups, therapeutic programs, and a connection point for the community to find many resources available. Stay tuned for more details.

TAC also recognizes the FUSE Teen Center, founded by Susan Crone (also a TAC member), that offers the youth of our community (grades 6-12) social options in a safe and supervised setting. FUSE hosts weekly events at Trinity Church of Christ, located on East Main Street in Thurmont, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:30 p.m., and Fridays from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Stop by and volunteer or bring your children for a great time.

The Thurmont Addiction Commission would love to talk to your organization, team, civic group, and so forth, to share valuable insight and educational information about the disease of addiction and the path to recovery. Education and Awareness is the key component to prevention, support, and recovery. Please call Ed Schildt at 240-285-8079 if you would like a TAC team to attend your meeting or event.

Thurmont Addiction Commission

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As you know, the Opioid crisis in our nation has a firm grip, locally, in Northern Frederick County. We’ve lost too many of our loved ones to this epidemic. A group of local citizens has decided to organize a Commission to better serve Thurmont in its fight against addiction. The Thurmont Addiction Commission (TAC) is a new council, fully sponsored and recognized by Thurmont’s Board of Commissioners. Its goal is to address this problem head-on in a multi-faceted approach. It consists of three “pillars.”

“Education and Awareness” will focus on helping our community learn about the complex nature of this problem and seeking to give  them the tools necessary to recognize the signs of addiction (educationpillarTAC@gmail.com).

“Support and Recovery” will provide families access to the many resources available they may not know about, as well as an advocate for local support systems for addicts and those recovering from the effects of a relative or friend suffering from addiction (recoverypillar TAC@gmail.com).

 “Prevention and Outreach” will seek to interact with those in high-risk groups to offer alternative activities and provide necessary information to assist in making decisions that do not involve addictive substances (preventionpillarTAC@gmail.com).

The commission is comprised of five voting members: Jay Churchill (chair), Mike Randall (co-chair), Rachel Hubbard, Kim Kerens, and Ed Schildt; two alternates: Myra Derbyshire and Gina Carbaugh; student representative: Gage Randall; and town liaison: Commissioner Marty Burns.

Anyone who is interested in joining any of the pillars is welcome to email the pillar representative directly. We are actively seeking volunteers. All events are open to the public.

Upcoming TAC events include: February 8—TAC Meeting at Thurmont Town Office at 7:00 p.m.; February 15—Speaker Series at Thurmont Carnival Grounds at 6:30 p.m. (Terry Austin, guest speaker: Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse and Addiction in  your household, plus first steps to getting help); February 23—Support and Recovery Pillar meeting, small meeting room, Thurmont Public Library at 6:30 p.m.; February 28—Introduction to the Enemy Program at Linganore High School at 6:00 p.m.

Follow them online at www.facebook.com/ThurmontAddictionCommission.