Aaron Haywood was a kind, smart, talented person. He came from a good home, with a caring family and great friends. He was an active member in his church, and he excelled in school. He received a degree from West Virginia University and, a month later, was lost to addiction. He went to great lengths to hide his addiction and his family was bewildered and devastated by his death.
Similar stories are increasing across southwestern Pennsylvania at an alarming rate. Addiction is ravaging our communities and leaving heartbroken families in its wake. Dedicated citizens are founding organizations with the mission to help those struggling with addiction.
The Coalition for a Brighter Greene is a group of volunteers with a mission to alleviate the drug abuse problem in Greene County. The all-volunteer organization was formed as an outcome of a 2015 Greene County Town Hall Meeting on substance abuse by Christine Gardner, Pastor Berkey, Philomena Blainey, and Jonathan Johnson, with support from local agencies and offices. The Coalition works with community leaders, organizations, and citizens to provide programs and events that raise awareness and support.
Since 2016, the Coalition has implemented several projects in the area. In conjunction with PA Family Support Alliance, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Botvin Life Skills Training, and PA Adult & Teen Challenge, they bring awareness to area students, teaching them facts and personal skills to avoid substance abuse. They also work with schools to advance STEAM education, bringing more fulfillment to students’ school experience, increasing club participation, and reducing the risk for drug use. Their events, such as drug awareness movie nights, March for Greene, community prayer vigils, and free concerts and lectures, provide opportunities to community members for discussion and education. These ongoing programs and others have made progress in the county.
Systemic family struggles are one of the biggest hurdles in the fight against substance abuse, especially in rural communities. Multi-generational substance abuse occurs due to outside pressures: difficulty with sustainable income, lack of available education, access to resources, etc. Due to the complexities of family substance abuse, the Coalition approaches each family from multiple angles and views each piece of the family as part of a whole.
“Addiction is always going to be part of this world and our community; the goal is to decrease the severity and the frequency of it. The Coalition was founded from the Town Hall because the collective impact was becoming so great that something had to said, something had to begin to change,” shares Tom Schlosser, vice president.
“Too many lives lost, and it shouldn’t take a person dying from addiction for our community to value each person. Whether it be through the school system, the churches, or a coach, we need to value each person in this community,” adds Jonathan Johnson, Coalition president.
The Coalition has continued to provide evolving services to the community. Due to increased internet traffic from the pandemic, they’ve introduced new features on their website. A new blog offers articles dealing with addiction, the pandemic, family issues and more. They started a vlog called Ray of Hope, made possible by a grant through the Greene County United Way and Community Foundation of Greene County. The videos feature interviews with community members, highlighting their continuing services and work and providing viewers with the message that they are not alone.
This year, the Coalition is partnering with a group of Waynesburg University students, led by Greene County native Jonathan Bailey, to provide virtual lessons in budgeting for teenagers and young adults. A scavenger hunt will take place from April into May, culminating in an event at the kayak launch in Greensboro on May 22.
The volunteers with the Coalition continue to forge relationships and build bridges on their path of creating a healthier Greene. Their website, coalitionforabrightergreene.org, lists multiple resources to helps those in need. If you are interested in joining the Coalition, fill out the contact form found on their site.