Local church hosts event to start off National Recovery Month

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - National Recovery Month is celebrated in September to raise awareness of substance abuse disorder and how people who struggle with substance abuse can find help.

Essential ChurchHuntsville hosts private recovery programs on Monday nights but opened up the program to the public on Monday to kick off National Recovery Month.

Ministry Leader for Essential Celebrate Recovery and President, Alabama Alliance for Recovery Residences Curt Lindsley was a speaker at a recovery event held at Essential Church on Monday.

According to Lindsey, Alabama saw a 30 percent increase in overdoses between 2020 and 2021. Lindsey said the opioid crisis hit Huntsville hard and what’s happening to people who suffer from addiction is tragic.

“This is a big deal,” Lindsley said. “A lot of us know people, have friends or family members that have died from drug overdoses. It’s really important that as a community we come together, support each other and be aware of a lot of the resources that are out there.”

In the month of July, the North Alabama Drug Task Force confiscated more than 11 pounds of fentanyl and 31 pounds of methamphetamine off the street.

Lindsley said the event was about sharing resources for people suffering from addiction, who are trying to recover or their loved ones.

“This is a really important issue we keep seeing people that have passed away due to overdose deaths,” Lindsley said. “It takes people getting involved in this cause to make a stand and to change that narrative and we’re all about being involved in that process of helping that happen.”

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