Foundation Minute for Week of April 17
Posted on Apr 12, 2017
Composed by PDG Lana Rouff
Foundation Minute for Week of April 17
The needs and concerns about opiate use weigh heavily on Rotarians throughout District 7170 in Upstate New York. Last year in response, the District leadership added a discussion session to their district conference agenda so individual Rotarians could articulate their concerns.
The discussion revealed significant disparities in general knowledge related to the field of substance abuse and the availability of prevention, treatment and recovery services among the communities of the district. Recognizing the enormous complexity of the heroin/opiate abuse epidemic, session participants concluded the meeting by requesting that a small core committee of district Rotarians and non-Rotarian professionals with a variety of experiences/skills in substance abuse and other relevant areas were charged to design a plan for a global grant to meet the needs identified in District 7170.
This month, The Rotary Foundation accepted the grant. It will enable the purchase of medical equipment and supplies for the expansion of the Addiction of Broome County, a private, not-for profit corporation that provides outpatient treatment for those affected by chemical dependency. It will also provide drop boxes throughout the district for used medication. A major media campaign will be mounted through the social and print media that will be aimed directly to people affected by the opiate epidemic and will send six students and a counselor from fourteen high schools to the Teen Institute a validated substance abuse prevention program that will empower teen participants to combat opiate use and abuse.
Nineteen clubs - two in India, one in Mexico, another in Canada and one in Skaneateles, NY joined fourteen
clubs in District 7170 to make this happen. If only one life is saved, the grant will be effective.
Contributions to the Rotary Foundation made this happen. Thank you.
Needed DDF Support: The Rotary Club of Silom Thailand is seeking funding for an opioid prevention program. Contact Kasenchai at kasemxei@gmail.com