Saving Lives One Box at a Time

At the January Session meeting, a step was taken to save lives in our community. The Session agreed to provide space on WRPC property, just below our Memorial Garden, for a “News of Hope” Naloxone Box, a refurbished newspaper box stocked with free boxes of Narcan and resource guides. Illuminate NC, a non-profit, believes recovery begins with connection. They provide life saving tools for harm reduction in Wake County, one of which is Narcan access. Narcan has been proven effective in reversing the effects of an opioid overdose or an accidental poisoning of fentanyl . “News of Hope” boxes are placed in high-“foot” traffic areas. Horne Street, close to Hillsborough, has been identified as an area where Illuminate NC feels will serve our community in need. WRPC will provide outdoor space and Illuminate will maintain the box, take inventory, and keep the box stocked, at no cost.

The program was brought to Session by the WRPC Critical Care Team member, Rosemary Crane, elder and retired nurse, who has served in the recovery housing community. Other box locations include Wake Med, the Women’s Center, and A Place at the Table. Maggie Kane, Founder & Executive Director of A Place at the Table says, “Narcan has SAVED lives at Table. Not only have we used it, but people grab it every day! We think every place should have it!!”

For more information about the fentanyl epidemic in Wake County, on Sunday April 19, the Haasis Class will host persons from the Healing Transitions Rapid Response team. They will discuss their role in reducing overdose and strengthening recovery, operations of the team, going to camps, into jails and following up with EMS. Their stories will be educational and impactful and tie into the role that faith communities have played in their personal recoveries. The class will wrap up with members from Illuminate NC presenting information about their non profit and the “News of Hope” box being placed on our property. The Haasis Class meets in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 and all are welcome. For more information on the News for Hope program go to https://illuminatenc.org and on the Rapid Response Team, go to https://healing-transitions.org.