Please join us at an upcoming event where we’ll learn from real experiences of people in our communities about how substance use impacts lives. This is a chance for many different people in our two counties (Mitchell and Yancey) to come together for conversation and shared learning. We hope these events lead to suggestions that inform policies, programs, support systems and strategies that create a compassionate and informed approach to substance use and addiction, and make our communities more supportive for everyone.
Our community is diverse, and it will take all of us to make a difference. Your unique experiences and insights are crucial in these conversations. We look forward to seeing you there.
Who Should Attend: Community members who care about addressing challenges related to substance use; People with personal experience of using drugs; Family members, friends, and others who are connected to someone who uses or has used drugs; Healthcare providers; First responders; Law enforcement and criminal justice staff and leaders; Public health and social service agency staff and leaders; and others.
RSVP by November 8th here: https://tinyurl.com/M-Y-Sensemaking
Session Details:
Monday, November 13 – Yancey Public Library:
321 School Cir, Burnsville, NC 28714
1:00 – Lunch and connection
1:30 – 4:30pm Facilitated Conversation
Child care provided
Tuesday, November 14 – TRACTOR Food and Farm
10992 NC-226, Spruce Pine, NC 28777
9:00am-12:00pm
Food provided
Thursday, November 16 – Yancey Public Library
321 School Cir, Burnsville, NC 28714
5:30-8:00pm
Food and child care provided
This session will support Spanish and English speakers (interpretation will be provided)
RSVP: Please let us know by November 8th if you’ll be joining us by RSVPing here: https://tinyurl.com/M-Y-Sensemaking.
What to Expect:
Dive into Real Stories: We’ll explore real lived experiences shared by people in our community. These stories will guide our discussions.
Collaborative Understanding: We’ll have conversations and activities to use these stories to better understand the big picture of substance use in our counties and find ways to move forward together.
Practical Solutions: Our goal is to create practical steps to address the challenge of opioid and substance use in our communities.
How Your Input Will Be Used:
We will document key insights and ideas for actions from these events. The insights we gather will influence policies, programs, education, community actions, and recommendations for local opioid settlement funds. Your contribution can bring hope and positive change to many.
Your Comfort and Safety Matter:
We’re committed to creating a safe and respectful environment to talk about a heartbreaking aspect of our communities. Thoughtful attention is being given to support the confidentiality of community members and the comfort of those who are attending. Please reach out to Emily Kujawa (Emily.Kujawa@wnchn.org, 838-298-4609) if you have questions.
Who is Organizing this Effort:
This invitation and this community learning process is being guided by a small Core Team of Mitchell and Yancey County government representatives and community-based public health organizations (Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) and Mountain Community Health Partnership (MCHP)). It is supported by a team of consultants with WNC Health Network. It is sponsored by Mitchell and Yancey County Governments with grant funding from Dogwood Health Trust. You can learn more about the process here: https://tinyurl.com/M-Y-Community-Learning-Process.
If you want more information or to become involved in working with the Mitchell Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force, contact Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) at 828-682-7899, info@pathwnc.org, or www.pathwnc.org.
