By Stephen Smoot
Potomac Highlands Guild’s Bethany Perez has labored over the past several months to establish and expand drug recovery outreach efforts across Pendleton County.
Now Perez, her newly hired colleague, Saprena Day, and others working in recovery outreach are working to bring their message of sobriety and support to others across the county and the state.
As soon as Day completes her training, she will be one of two recovery coaches, the first time Pendleton County has had that many.
The recovery outreach group led by Perez and Day recently brainstormed ideas on how to bring help to those who need it most, particularly the homeless. Of course, the ravages of addiction often cost people their jobs, families, and, many times, the security of having a home. In general, as Perez puts it, the group’s attitude is “We just want to give back.”
Perez serves as PHG’s peer recovery support specialist, but the group she established is not part of the guild. PHG does, however, support the recovery outreach group by providing a space in which to meet.
While bringing help to the homeless remains their major goal, Perez shared that finding homeless in need in Pendleton County has proved difficult. It’s not that Pendleton County has escaped this social ill, but that homelessness in rural areas looks very different than the same condition in cities.
Therefore, the recovery group has decided to expand their assistance plan. First, they will redouble efforts to reach the homeless in the area, while also encouraging those in such straits to reach out and come to them. Second, the group chose to select two cities in West Virginia to target. They will go to concentrations of homeless to offer donated goods and an ear to listen.
Cities under consideration include Charleston, Martinsburg, Huntington, and other major state cities. Donations provided so far include dry shampoo, body wipes, Narcan, fentanyl test strips (to determine if a substance has fentanyl in it), and lots of hygiene kits. Hygiene kits include feminine products.
They also have non perishable food and drinks. Day shared that “we have some canned goods.” Additionally, they will hand out drinks “to keep them hydrated” in increasingly hot summer temperatures.
Perez and Day also shared that they would welcome donations of supplies for which they remain in need, including shaving products, deodorant, feminine products, and other basic toiletries. Food that does not require cooking and is non-perishable, as well as canned or bottled drinks, are also needed.
The main obstacle to the recovery outreach group’s plans is money. They have planned three community fundraisers to try and collect funds needed to transport the group and supplies to their destinations.
The first will occur this Saturday and Sunday. Group members will hold a bake sale in the parking lot of PHG, next door to the BP station. At the same location on June 15 and 16, they will sell art created by members of the group and donated to others. July’s fundraiser on the 13th and 14th will be a yard sale of donated items.
Perez shared that those in need should reach out to her. She encouraged the Pendleton Times to share her contact information. She can be reached at (304) 703-5436, (304) 358-2351, or Bethany.Perez@potomachighlandsguild.com
