McLaughlin congratulates Mayor DeMaria on an outstanding first Annual Village Fest
Thanks to sponsors like Wynn Everett, Home Depot, and others, the City was able to host a fun-filled day this past Saturday. It was great to see several hundred Everett residents out enjoying such a wonderful event. I am really pleased that the First Annual Village Feast was celebrated in Ward Six. I hope to be able to assist next year as the Ward Councilor in the Second Annual Village Fest!
I also want to thank the Everett Police, Fire and EMTs that were on hand to ensure the event went well and everyone was safe!
Michael J. McLaughlin
Candidate for City Council
As you may not know, September is National Recovery Month
It is a month dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of mental and substance use issues and also celebrating those who are in recovery. Recovery starts when the detoxing process ends; detoxing is done elsewhere- hospitals, clinics, etc. It is when the recovering addict returns to their community that we must offer the most support and compassion as they embark on the road to recovery. Addiction is a lifelong battle and constant work is required to maintain recovery and it is vital that we as a community, encourage and support all of their efforts to stay in recovery and in doing so, we will also aid in removing the stigma associated with addiction.
I remember when I was growing up, teen pregnancy was happening at an alarming rate and kids were tucked away until their babies were born, never finishing school. I was one of those kids. I didn’t think that it would ever happen to me “Famous last words.” Teen pregnancy has dropped dramatically due to the fact people, as a community, understood that there was a serious need for action. Through this awareness came sex-education classes, more availability to condoms, teen health centers were started so if you ever found yourself in that situation, the resources needed to help you succeed could be found at every corner. The stigma became less prevalent and with that, we were given a real chance to thrive. We need the same kind of resources and education in our schools for this opioid crisis. Times have changed and we must change with them. Let’s help change the stigma of addiction and recovery it starts with us as individuals in the way we think, and as a community in the way we help. It is an epidemic and if we are not willing to see that then we are all part of the problem and not the solution….
Prevention, Awareness and Recovery.
Pattiann Scalesse
Everett Overcoming Addiction