Lay and ordained people from across the greater Mid Atlantic region are scheduled to walk the Way of Love on March 25-26, 2019, as pilgrims to a West Virginia town hit hard by the tragedy of the opioid epidemic: Huntington. Organized by the Episcopal Church Province III Task Force on Responding to the Opioid Epidemic, the pilgrims will visit places where the local community has found innovative, compassionate ways to respond to the wave of addiction that has claimed the lives and loved ones of too many residents of the town.
According to the Mayor’s Office of Drug Control Policy Strategic Plan, more than 10% of the population of Huntington is addicted to opioids. For 2016, 1,476 drug overdose incidents were reported in Cabell County–a 443% increase over 2014. Widely regarded as “ground zero” for the opioid epidemic in the United States, community leaders in Huntington acknowledged the grave situation early. Huntington is becoming an example for other communities seeking to offer a caring response, prevention strategies, and recovery resources that serve individuals and families in need. Pilgrims will walk in the Way of Love through Huntington together: crossing boundaries, listening deeply, and living like Jesus. (For more information on the Way of Love, see: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love )
The Way of Love journey will lead pilgrims through places of prayer and witness, offering time to listen to stories, hear recent research findings, and learn more about productive programs inside and outside of church buildings. Featured guests include the Right Reverend Mike Klusmeyer, Bishop of West Virginia who founded the task force in May 2017; Rebecca Crowder, Executive Director of Lily’s Place, a facility that cares for infants facing neo-natal abstinence syndrome; the Rev. Jeff Allen, Executive Director West Virginia Council of Churches; and other local leaders from the faith and recovery communities.
Organized by the Rev. Dina van Klaveren and Karl Colder, Co-Chairs of the Opioid Response Task Force of Province III of the Episcopal Church.
Task Force representatives from the Diocese of Pittsburgh are the Rev. Canon Dr. Jay Geisler (jgeisler@episcopalpgh.org), the Rev. Regis Smolko (regisjs@verizon.net), and Andy Muhl (amuhl@episcopalpgh.org).
For more information on the pilgrimage, please contact Susan Beares at Province3OpioidTaskForce@gmail.com, or 410-489-4035.