(2/2020) On January 21st Adams County hosted a groundbreaking for the county’s first substance abuse recovery house. Adams County is partnering with the RASE Project, a non-profit specializing on drug addiction recovery services, to create a recovery center open to the public. The building g will also house five rental apartments for adult working men in recovery. I have mentioned this project in past articles, but given its significance to our community here is another update.

The groundbreaking went well and everyone was optimistic that we are on the right path, but as with any project of this nature it was also tainted with lose. Some of those in attendance had lost loved ones to substance abuse, especially opioid overdose. And it was clear from the attendees that all had been affected in some way by substance abuse. Knowing how much county government spends on substance abuse related services, I would argue that all of us have been affected.

Over half of our inmates in the county jail have been charged with drug and alcohol related offenses. Furthermore, I would argue that some of our aggravated assaults and thefts have been influenced by drug and alcohol use. In 2020 the cost to county taxpayers for having a jail is projected to be over $12,000,000, or about $110 per resident per year. Without even considering the cost to process justice through our prison system or the cost of probation after incarceration, the cost to residents for substance abuse is $55 per year. That is not the cost to the inmate, that is the cost to taxpayers. Basically, anyone who says they have not been affected by substance abuse, simply isn’t aware of how it has affected their lives. With the dawning of the opioid epidemic and now fentanyl, the cost in lives and dollars is skyrocketing across the nation.

We live in a world where we manufacture drugs capable of creating almost unmatched euphoria and we live in a country that promises children a better life than their parents. And therein lies one of the traps which lead to drug addiction. A trap where joy can be externally created and is a right to be expected. At the same time we are just beginning to understand the self-perpetuating relationship between childhood trauma and drug addiction, crime, and abuse. The old, "Just Say No" campaign failed. Substance abuse is much more complex than simply saying, "No".

The Mercy House represents a new front on the old war on drugs, but a much different one. There staff will empower individuals fighting addiction to find inner peace, to develop a sense of self stronger than their addiction. There peers will mentor and support each other. There basic life skills will be re-learned. There we will use the science of medically assisted treatment to create the personal stability necessary to fight the drug cartels’ latest strongest and deadliest drugs. There we will work to create recovery plans, find affordable housing, career paths, and recreate a personal sense of belonging. The Mercy House is where we start to put lives, families, and communities back together again.

At the groundbreaking we proved that our community has the will to begin this project, but we still need your help us finish it. I am not talking about taking down a wall or building an elevator. Those are now inevitable. What I mean is, we need your support to spread the word. Spread the word that we are fighting back, that there is hope, and that all are welcome here. Let everyone know that if they or someone they know is suffering through drug addiction that they are not alone and they don’t face it alone. And not to be trite, but we still need local donations to keep this project on track.

Our current estimate for the renovations is approximately $1.2 million and to date we have received over $956,000 in donations from local non-profits and individuals. Donations ranging from $10 to $75,000 have been coming to pay for this project. We have received large donations from the Thomas L Cline foundation, Adams County Community foundation, Robert C Hoffman Trust, Sharon Trew Cline Magraw foundation, and the Adams County Bar Association. Without these funds we could not come close to funding this project, but what floors me are the personal donations. Individuals donating funds in memory of a loved one or attendees at our chamber of commerce annual prayer breakfast donating from their own wallets. Any sized donation is accepted and will be put to good use. If you do the math, we are still over $250,000 short of our goal, but we are still writing grants and accepting donations to keep the cost to taxpayers at a minimum.

Once this project is completed and we have a final ribbon cutting, the RASE Project will still need support to provide services. If you want to learn more about them or how to contribute, feel free to contact me at mqually@adamscounty.us and I’ll get you in touch with the correct staff.

Prior to the ceremony on the 21st I took some time to research the building. As a graduate of Saint Francis Xavior grade school, I knew it had been a convent, where some of my teachers lived. What I didn’t know was the original mission of the Sisters of Mercy. In 1831 Mother Catherine Elizabeth McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy. Sister McAuley dedicated her life to helping those less fortunate and created a sisterhood to further that mission in Ireland, Europe, and eventually in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Sometimes it feels overwhelming to put up a fight or just easier to pass the fight off to someone else. Or worse simply blame those suffering from addiction. I believe that we can take some guidance from Sister McAuley. In discussing her work to help young woman in poverty she said, "A Community in which universal charity reigns, is capable of surmounting any difficulty."