The event will be held at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse on September 10th from 6:00-8:00pm. This event is being held in at least 100 communities nationally to raise awareness during Recovery Month.
Guest speakers will include Robin Elliott, one of the founders of GA Overdose Prevention. Robin was instrumental in the passage of the Georgia 911 Good Samaritan law. Additionally, Austin Collier, a young person in recovery will share his story about opiate addiction and how his life has changed! For the first time, Susan and her daughter, Carsyn Melton, will speak together about their family’s struggle with addiction and the healing that has occurred over the last two years.
Following the speakers, attendees will light the candles and pray for all of the families and loved ones who are have been lost to addiction in the Gwinnett Community and our nation. Gwinnett County lost 44 people to opiate overdoses from October 2015 to May of 2016 and the numbers are trending upward. The CDC has classified the opiate crisis as an epidemic. Attendees will light candles for those lost to addiction, those who need recovery, and some will light candles for their loved ones who are incarcerated due to their addiction. Others will light candles to celebrate recovery: Lights of Hope for those still struggling!
Susan found The Addict’s Mom (TAM) during her daughter’s 8 year struggle with addiction to multiple substances. She embraced the TAM mission of “Sharing Without Shame” and quickly became aware of the tremendous number of other families who were struggling with the epidemic that is rampant in our communities. She and her husband are active in family support groups and have founded Navigate Recovery Gwinnett, a nonprofit Recovery Community Organization (RCO). Susan is still connected to the online TAM groups that meant so much to her during those years of crisis with her daughter.
