Weekend event offers workshops for those affected by loved ones’ addiction

Published 6:22 pm Thursday, April 25, 2019

By ROBIN HART and BEN KLEPPINGER

advocate@amnews.com

An event to bring hope to individuals and families impacted by addiction is set for Friday and Saturday in Danville.

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HOPE 2019 will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Danville Church of God, 516 S. Fourth St. There will be workshops and resources available to help those who are searching for ways to battle drug and alcohol addictions, as well as for those whose loved ones are affected.

“Addiction impacts every family on some level. We believe in prayer, but we also need to put our faith into action,” said senior pastor Bryan Montgomery, who is one of the HOPE 2019 organizers.

Montgomery said his church is involved in addiction recovery efforts. “Sometimes I think the family gets overlooked.”

Those family members include moms and dads with grown children with addictions or who are in jail; adult siblings; and grandparents, who are raising their grandchildren because the parents are incarcerated, Montgomery said.

That’s why the HOPE event will have breakout sessions targeted to family members, Montgomery said. “We want to offer hope, help and resources to those that are left picking up the pieces that addiction brings.”

He said HOPE 2019 is geared mainly toward adults who are dealing with addictions, directly and indirectly.

A separate event focusing on children who are dealing with their siblings’ or parents’ addiction is being planned for early summer, Montgomery said.

Danville Church of God helped organize the Hope Over Heroin event in 2015.

Montgomery said that event was extremely successful — “we got a lot of people into treatment that weekend” — and it led to the creation of the Hope Network, which is still doing good work on recovery and rehabilitation in the local community today. “The fruits of that are still being felt in this county today.”

The Hope Network mentors students in the local schools and is involved with the Shepherd’s House addiction treatment program, among other things, he said. “We are very much involved today with prevention, intervention, restoration and race reconciliation here in Boyle County and in Danville.”

Montgomery said it has taken six months to plan this new HOPE 2019 event.

A concert will kick off HOPE 2019 today at 7 p.m. and doors will open at 6 p.m. Performing Friday will be Rise Up, The Coffmans, Calvary Baptist Worship, DCOG Worship, Chuck Sharp, Aaron Montgomery and Pastor Stephen Lyons.

Saturday morning will be the HOPE 2019 5K Run/Walk Against Addiction at Millennium Park. Cost is $20. Signup begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race is at 8:30 a.m.

The HOPE 2019 schedule includes the following sessions and a free lunch will be served:

• 11-11:45 a.m. — breakout sessions of Hope for parents, led by Wesley and Marie Williams and Gary and Patty Chedister; hope for spouses, led by Brian and Kim Bradshaw and Erica and Chris Caudill; hope for siblings, led by Rebecca Kendell Patterson and Mary Philips; and hope for adult children, led by Chelsea Smith and Delona Alford.

• 11:50 a.m.-2:30 p.m. — Discussion of Casey’s Law, which is a law that allows someone who’s suffering from the disease of drug addiction to be forced into treatment, presented by Lynn Dean.

• 12:45-1:30 p.m. — “Perfection < Purpose, One man’s journey to recovery,” presented by Aaron Montgomery, who is also the Bryan Montgomery’s younger brother.

• 1:40-2:15 p.m. — Discussion of the church and addiction, presented by Chuck Sharp and Stephen Lyons.

• 2:20-3 p.m. — “What we have learned about community work and substance use disorders,” led by Kathy Miles; and a discussion of the roots of mental health and addiction prevention, led by Amanda Dewitt, organizer of the Youth Coalition.

Following Saturday’s workshops and information event, Jason Crabb will perform a concert at the church. Doors open at 5 p.m. There will be 500 seats available on a first come, first served basis.

Several organizations are working with DCOG for this event, Montgomery said. “I am thankful for the churches and organizations like ASAP & Hope Network in Danville/Boyle County who have said, we are better together.”