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.
