Media Contact: Mike Barry
502-552-8573
Meeting our Neighbors Where they Are: Downtown Louisville Outreach Event & New Service Delivery Announcement
Location: Lot behind Taco Bell (108 E. Broadway) off the corner of Brook St. & Broadway (across from Walgreens)
Day/time: Friday, October 22nd, 2021 @ 10:00am – 2:00pm
Press Release from the Louisville Recovery Community Connection (LRCC), the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition & University of Louisville Hospital
—“We have seen; therefore, we are responsible.”
The above statement is the foundational principle which guides all of the work we do. A quick snapshot paints a grim picture of this moment: we see the senseless suffering and discrimination brought about by the War on People, often referred to by our government as a War on Drugs, we see an opioid epidemic that continues to leave no neighborhood unravaged worsening as it surpasses 20 years rather than nearing its end, and we see the routine dismantling of camps built by communities of people who find themselves unhoused in place of safe shelter, universal access to services and psychiatric care. We must see the reality of this picture of this picture, this moment, no matter how painful it is. And to find our way out, we must begin to see the humanity in our neighbors, the brave and resilient members of our communities who are in desperate need of our help– as someone once saw for every one of us at the LRCC.
Today, that looks like creating space for people to reclaim their, even if only for an afternoon, a space that is visible and welcoming in the heart of our city, not hidden away. It’s giving our neighbors a break from the stigma, discrimination and trauma.
It’s mobilizing through diverse community partnerships to provide for whatever it is the community needs from showers, haircuts, clean clothes, and hygiene products to medical attention and food. It is simply showing up with genuine compassion and sending the message to our neighbors that we are here, and you are not disposable, hopeless or alone.
To continue the mission and spirit of the today’s event, we are also happy to announce that beginning next week, the LRCC in partnership with the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition and University of Louisville Hospital with funding and support from the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, will launch a new mobile unit staffed with Harm Reduction Specialist, Peer Support Specialist, and a Peer Navigator to help eliminate barriers such as transportation that will visit historically marginalized and underserved areas of our city, engage our neighbors and facilitate linkages to needed services including direct access to a provider through telehealth and lifesaving medications Suboxone or Vivitrol. Recognizing that one of the most persistent barriers to care continues to be a lack of transportation, this unit will allow us to both literally and figuratively meet people where they are.
Jeremy Byard, co-founder and Director of the Louisville Recovery Community Connection (LRCC) says, the LRCC is taking part in this project because we believe that the drug epidemic is a public health crisis. Kentucky is one of the hardest hit states in the nation. We must come up with new and innovative ways to serve our community, if we want better outcomes. We are dedicated to increasing access to medications, educating the community, dispelling stigma, and ultimately saving lives. There was never a question of if we would be a part of this project, it is our duty as a Recovery Community Organization.”
Dr. Chris Stewart of U of L Hospital said, “Mobile treatment means removing barriers for our community members most at risk, with respect, dignity, and compassion.”
Donald Davis, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Kentucky Harm Reduction (KyHRC) stated, “The more mobile units we have on the street the more people who truly need our services can be reached.”
About the Louisville Recovery Community Connection (LRCC)
The LRCC is a Recovery Community Organization created, organized, and governed by people in recovery in response to unmet needs in our community. Their mission is to engage the community and build meaningful relationships by supporting organizations, individuals, families, and loved ones impacted by addiction and the “War on Drugs”. We aid individuals in initiating and sustaining recovery. We will increase public awareness and decrease stigmas and injustices through support services, education, training, and advocacy. We aspire to make a great impact in our community by empowering individuals on their journey.
The LRCC and KyHRC are located at 620 S 3rd Street #102 and have mobile units that go out in the community 5 days a week.
For more information on the organizations and its program, please visit: https://louisvillerecoveryconnection.org/
**This project is supported by the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE) through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant 1H79TI081704