A packed schedule will welcome in the month of September, which is Recovery Month in Charlestown and memorialized with everything from a vigil to a grand opening.
The Charlestown Coalition has released its Recovery Month schedule and Director Sarah Coughlin and new Recovery Services Manager Shannon Lundin-White said it will be a solemn reminder of the crisis confronting everyone, and the victory that can be had through recovery.
“September is recognized as National Recovery Month, and this being the 30th year, it’s a time to reflect back and honor how far the Recovery Community has come while also recognizing the dedication of treatment and service providers and bringing more awareness to the understanding of addiction,” said Lundin-White. “It’s a time to celebrate the accomplishments and progress of those who have taken steps to reclaim their lives in recovery, rediscovering themselves and finding their life’s purpose. Recovery Month also shows others that we do recover, we didn’t want to be this way. We aren’t bad people trying to get good, but sick people trying to get well. I am a grateful person in long-term recovery and I could not have gotten here without God, my recovery program and my fellow peers.”
The Month’s celebration kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 10 with a BBQ on the Charlestown High School field at 4 p.m.
On Sunday, Sept. 15, there will be a Recovery Mass at St. Mary’s Church on 55 Warren St. That will happen at 6 p.m.
On Monday, Sept. 16, there will be the annual Recovery Day on Beacon Hill, with Charlestown folks meeting at the Boys & Girls Club on Green Street at 8:30 a.m. They will march to the State House for a rally on the Boston Common.
The 11th annual Charlestown Candlelight Vigil will take place in Hayes Square on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m. The vigil is dedicated to remembering those that have been lost to addiction, and to give those hope who are struggling with addiction.
A grand opening for the new Crossroads Center at the NEW Health Charlestown will take place on Monday, Sept. 23, at 3:30 p.m. in the Hayes Square health care center. The new drop-in center is a resource where residents of the Town can get connected to community services.
Lundin-White said they will also do a community Narcan training on Thursday, Sept. 26, at First Church in Charlestown, 6 p.m. She said everyone is welcome, and there are new techniques for Narcan, so those who have trained in the past should update their trainings.
“Recovery Month isn’t just for those in recovery; it’s for families and loved ones too. Addiction doesn’t just affect the lives of those living in active addiction but also the people around them who love them the most,” she said. “Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective, people can and do recover and transformation is real.”