Event Categories: Community Events

New Hampshire Public Radio’s daily-call in show The Exchange will be in Nashua for a special community conversation on the depth and impact of the state’s opioid issue.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, New Hampshire has the second highest-rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in the country. The city of Nashua offers a unique perspective on the opioid epidemic for the various approaches the community is taking to tackle the issue:

• In the fall of 2018, Nashua was named one of nine regional ‘recovery hubs’ throughout the state where services are specially targeted to reach sufferers and aid in recovery.
• Nashua is a ‘Safe Station’ city. Through this designation, opioid addicts can freely walk into any city fire station – free of reprisal – to be connected with essential recovery services.
• The Mayor’s Opioid Task Force (MOTF) brings together a group of community leaders and concerned citizens, using a community-wide, ‘collective impact’ model to tackle various dimensions of this public health issue.
• As a border city, Nashua neighbors the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts, where many communities have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, shaping a cross-border perspective on different approaches.

Before a live audience at the Nashua Public Library, host Laura Knoy will lead a conversation about the current landscape around opioid usage, and discuss some of the challenges, opportunities, and approaches unique to this serious public health issue.

Laura will be joined by a panel of community experts, including:

• Bobbie Bagley, Director of Nashua’s Division of Public Health & Community Services.
• Melbourne Moran, clinical director of emergency services for Harbor Homes. Moran leads the Harbor Homes mobile crisis response team, which provides counseling and help to residents in Nashua, as well as nearby towns, including Amherst, Hollis, Milford, and Mont Vernon.
• Jessica Parnell, a recovery coach at Revive Recovery Center in Nashua. Parnell is the city’s first publicly-funded recovery coach.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the event. Members of the public can also e-mail their questions/comments in advance of the event to: exchange@nhpr.org.

The Exchange’s appearance in Nashua is part of NHPR’s ongoing, comprehensive coverage around opioids. Crossroad: The NH Opioid Reporting Project explores how government, the healthcare system and local communities are responding to the opioid crisis. The work is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE: Thursday, February 7, 2019
LOCATION: Nashua Public Library, Chandler Wing, 2 Court Street, Nashua, NH 03060

TIME:
5:30 PM – doors open
6:15 PM – audience seated
6:30 – 8 PM – The Exchange, recorded for later broadcast
8 – 8:30 PM – Reception and Meet-and-Greet with Laura Knoy and NHPR staff

[NOTE: The program will be broadcast Thursday, Feb. 14, on NHPR from 9 to 10 AM, and again that evening from 7 to 8 PM]

REGISTRATION:

The event is free, but registration is required. Please register online at: www.nhpr.org/events

Each year, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Distinguished Service Awards are presented to UMass Lowell faculty, staff, and students, and to community members of Lowell, Massachusetts. These awards honor the contributions of individuals who exemplify the dream, vision and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by demonstrating a high level of commitment to social change, service and community engagement.

During the evening, you will also enjoy:

• Art Appreciation
• Inspirational Speakers
• Networking Opportunity
• Student Performances

REMEMBRANCE AND RECOVERY VIGIL

10.25.18 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Location:  JFK Plaza, 50 Arcand Drive, Lowell MA

Remembering those whose lives have been lost to substance use disorder
and honoring and supporting those in recovery

Welcoming Remarks: Eileen Donoghue, City Manager

Guest of Honor: Corey Belanger, Co-Chair, Mayor’s Opioid Crisis Task Force

Messages of Hope: Louise Griffin, Jack Carter, and Louie Diaz

Prayer: Reverend Imogene Stulken, UMass Lowell

Reading of the Names and Moment of Silence: Chief Jeff Winward

Closing: Rita Mercier, City Councilor & Co-Chair, Mayor’s Opioid Crisis Task Force

Music provided by Karen Donovan

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Speakers

For more information, contact the City of Lowell Health Department
Substance Abuse and Prevention Division – 978-674-4304.