Overton Recovery Rally Friday Night To Provide Resources And Ideas To Help With Addiction

Those trying to recover from addiction or family and friends who want to help are invited to the Overton County Recovery Court’s second annual Recovery Rally Friday night.

Judge Daryl Colson said the purpose of starting the rally last year was to gather people who share a common goal. Colson said the event hopes to helps people gather the resources needed to serve those struggling with drug addiction.

“Because there’s so many components to addiction in people’s lives and we want to address all of those components,” Colson said. “And so, bringing these services together, we’re able to address addiction from a unified front and all the phases of addiction.”

Colson said another big part of this rally is educating the community on resources available and what addiction is. The event takes place Friday night from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Joe L. Evins Community Center. Colson said there will also be several both faith and evidence-based treatment providers that come to the rally.

“The drugs that we’re seeing today, that is in our communities, are not the same drugs that were here five years ago and ten years ago,” Colson said. “We’re dealing with a much more dangerous drug.”

Colson said many of the drugs being ingested today imported from China and Mexico are very synthetic and incredibly deadly.

“If your or your family aren’t directly affected, there’s a very highly likelihood that you have a friend or a relative, extended relative, who are affected,” Colson said. “It’s just so prevalent.”

The Justice Bus and Legal Aid Society will provide free legal advice. That includes civil matters like divorce, child custody, debt collection, eviction, and expungement.

Colson said last year’s rally was an overwhelming success with over 150 people participating along with community partners.