Gilead House receives $72,000 from opioid settlement
Also, Walk for Freedom takes place in Kokomo on Oct. 14
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The Howard County Board of Commissioners invited the leaders of the Gilead House to attend their meeting on Sept. 18 to receive some much-needed funding. The commissioners awarded the nonprofit with $72,000 from the State of Indiana’s settlement with the opioid manufacturing and distribution industry.
Gilead House founder Reba Harris and therapist Susan Maxson were on hand to receive the gift. Commissioner Jack Dodd explained how the money made it to Howard County for distribution.
"The state has sued opioid manufacturers and distributors, and they've distributed money to the counties twice now," said Dodd. "And it's come to the Howard County Commissioners. We have been able to distribute this money. What we've been doing is taking this money and dividing it up for what we thought would be the best use of this money here in Howard County.
"They've given us this money to distribute. They've given us what they call restricted funds and unrestricted funds. The commissioners thought it would be better, instead of using the unrestricted funds for whatever we wanted, to keep this money all together. We've been giving it to providers that have been treating opioid patients or residents; people who have been adversely impacted by the opioid drug problems."
Commissioner Jeff Lipinski added, "You've been a fixture in this community for years. The work that you’ve done should not go unnoticed."
Harris, in accepting the check, explained that the deaths from opioid use locally have had an impact on the women Gilead House serves. She said that many of the women currently in recovery often know those who die from using, which inspires them to avoid a similar fate.
"The women are really getting better," said Harris. "We're so thankful to really see an increase in their recovery. There seems to be a little bit more push to really get clean and sober and get their children back, get an education. We're very thankful for this."
The Gilead House, located at 406 E. Sycamore St., is a non-profit substance abuse treatment center, devoted to helping women who suffer with addictions, legal problems, family dysfunction, and other issues.
Founded in 1998, The Gilead House has qualified, caring professionals who provide Intensive Outpatient Treatment in a residential setting with 24-hour staffing. Residents receive on-going case management, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, life skills training, and more. Professional counselors and therapists meet with each resident and interface as needed with family members, social services agencies, and the court system.
Walk for Freedom Oct. 14
A21, a national nonprofit aimed at ending slavery worldwide, holds a Walk for Freedom each year. The Kokomo chapter will participate on Sat., Oct. 14, and invites the community to join them.
The fundraising walk will run from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., starting at Fresh Start Ministries, 801 W. Mulberry St. Registration, games, and coffee start at 9 a.m. The walk will start with a prayer at 10 a.m., and the walkers should return by 11 a.m. for more games, food, and speakers. A final prayer will close the event after 12 p.m.
According to the local chapter, Walk for Freedom is a yearly global event that reaches out to communities across the world, teaching about the sad reality that human trafficking is real, slavery exists, and people can help abolish it by knowing the signs.
The walk route will head south along Indiana Street to Foster Park, using the Walk of Excellence to travel to Kokomo’s City Hall on Union Street. The walk then turns west to arrive at the Howard County Courthouse for a group photo. The walk route then returns to Fresh Start Ministries.
Registration takes place at the event. Parking is available on the street and in the Fresh Start parking lot.
“We believe that every step we take locally leaves footprints globally,” the A21 release reads. “Every dollar fund-raised, every poster seen, every person made aware of the issue of human trafficking add up to one global impact: a world where everyone is free.”
For questions about the local walk, email shenandoahs90@gmail.com. For general information about A21 or the larger Walk for Freedom movement, email info@a21.org or visit the organization’s website at www.a21.org.