Community resource fair to support families affected by addiction

Brooke McAfee, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Aug. 16—CLARK COUNTY — A fair this weekend will offer support and resources for local families affected by drug addiction.

Clark County CARES is presenting a Community Resource Fair Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Elementary in Charlestown. The event will feature about 20 local agencies, family-friendly activities and door prizes.

Malinda Mackenzie, a board member of Clark County CARES, said the event will feature resources that will be helpful for a variety of people, whether they are seeking help during the recovery process or they are grandparents who are raising their grandchildren due to the impact of addiction on their family.

There is a need for the "community to come together and just support families as they try to break that cycle of addiction," Mackenzie said. She wants people to know that they are not alone, saying addiction is an issue that has affected her own family.

"Addiction does become a family disease, and people don't realize that because of the shame that is surrounded by it — they don't talk about it," she said.

There will also be navigators available to help attendees learn about various insurance options. Families will have a chance to win prizes such as bicycles, and the fair will offer a food truck and free shaved ice.

The resource fair was originally planned for January during the organization's annual Drug Facts Week, but it was canceled due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Barb Anderson, a board member with Clark County CARES, emphasizes the need for the community "to get a grip" on this issue, saying both the jail system and medical system are overloaded as people struggle with substance abuse. She hopes that bringing more awareness to the issue will bring more opportunities for treatment.

"There's such a high addiction rate in all our communities right now, and we felt like there was a need to boost awareness again to make sure people understand this is not an issue that's going away," Anderson said. "It resurfaces over and over again."