Dear Parishioners,

Catholic Charities in Summit County is joining the fight against opioid addiction. Thanks to the generosity of United Way of Summit County, the Summit ADM Board and the Catholic Charities Summit County Women’s Board, the staff will be helping individuals and families suffering with addiction. United Way of Summit County has identified, as one of its Bold Goals, Reducing the Number of Emergency Room visits to 1,000 per year by 2025. That number stood at a whopping 2,400 in Summit County in 2016.

Catholic Charities has also developed as one of its core strategies as an organization addressing the opioid crisis. No matter what circumstances lead to addiction, Catholic Charities believes that it is their obligation to provide compassionate, complete and evidence-based care to help deal with the epidemic of substance abuse. Catholic Charities is committed to the dignity of all persons and is committed to assist those who need help.

They will be working in conjunction with Summa Barberton Hospital’s Pilot Program to combat this crisis. The hiring of a Service/Program Coordinator will remove resource barriers that addicts face upon release. Their goal is to arm addicts with the tools and community resources necessary to help them maintain sobriety. Studies show this strategy lessens the chance they will relapse and the lessens the risk they will overdose again.  Catholic Charities has experienced success with this program in Cuyahoga County.

This opioid epidemic is destroying families and communities. It affects all of us as health and safety resources are spread thin as hospitals and police departments struggle to keep up. Catholic Charities of Summit County will help win this fight, one day at a time, one family at a time. Please be generous to this weekend’s appeal.

Many Blessings,
Father Jim