There are more than 23 million Americans leading productive and meaningful lives in long-term recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction, and a local ad hoc advocacy and planning group, Recovery for Shore, aims to celebrate this “good news” on Sunday, September 21, 2:00-5:00 p.m., in observance of September’s designation as National Recovery Month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
“The Scoop Scoot is an ‘ice cream crawl’ for people of all ages to have some fun celebrating September as Recovery Month,” says Sharon Dundon, CAC-AD, addiction specialist for UM Shore Regional Health’s Shore Behavioral Health and group leader of Recovery For Shore. “Participants will enjoy cool and crunchy treats from Julia’s, Old Town Creamery, Rita’s, Scottish Highland Creamery and Squirrel Pit. Dover Street between Washington and Harrison streets will be closed off to traffic, and we will be set up in Thompson Park with musical entertainment, face painting, and other activities, as well as information about resources for recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, and about prevention.”
Sponsors of the event are Shore Behavioral Health, Talbot Partnership, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency/Maryland, Warwick Manor Behavioral Health, and Talbot County Addictions Services. Those planning to attend should register online at www.eventbrite.com (Easton, Md.). The cost will be $2 per person, paid on arrival at the event.
Now in its 25th year, Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders. This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out,” encourages people to openly speak up about mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery, and promotes ways individuals can use to recognize behavioral health issues and reach out for help.
Recovery For Shore includes interested community members as well as representatives from a variety of health, mental health, social service, business and nonprofit organizations serving Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. In recent months, the group sponsored free screenings of The Anonymous People — the excellent documentary film that celebrates recovery — in Cambridge, Centreville, Chestertown, Denton and Easton.
A Recovery for Shore team also will participate in the “Out of the Darkness” Walk for Suicide Prevention on Saturday, September 6, 5-8:30 p.m, and is planning more outreach and education activities.
Recovery for Shore welcomes more members and volunteers. Additional information can be obtained by emailing [email protected], or by visiting https://talbotspy.org/recovery, https://chestertownspy.org/recovery or the group’s Facebook page.
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