Beginning August 21st, Tuscarawas County residents will begin seeing silhouettes placed across nine communities in the county. Each community will display:

    •  One black silhouette – representing deaths in the county

    •  One gray silhouette – representing overdoses per city (that did not result in death)

    •  One yellow silhouette – representing “There is Always Hope”

    •  Yard sign promoting the New Tuscarawas County Hope Line (330) 663-6812

The silhouettes, 30 across the county, will be placed in highly visible areas. Yard signs will accompany the silhouettes featuring the New Tuscarawas County Hope Line number (330) 663-6812. This is a one call, one person, no redirect number. Rachel, the access navigator, will answer the phone or call you back to help you access the most appropriate substance use and addiction treatment services. She can also provide support and resource information to families or loved ones who have a person struggling with substance use or addiction in their life.

Participating communities include Bolivar, Dover, Mineral City, Newcomerstown, New Philadelphia, Port Washington, Strasburg, Sugarcreek, Tuscarawas, and the Twin City area (Dennison/Uhrichsville).

This effort is in response to an all-time record high in overdose deaths in 2020. March of 2021 recorded an all-time one-month record high of overdose deaths in the county. The Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition and Addiction Task Force would like to raise awareness that there is help and there is hope for persons who struggle with substance use and addiction. This initiative is to help community members better understand addiction and to help persons struggling know that help is available.

“We want to create clear visibility that there are services that can help and that there is always hope,” said Jodi Salvo, Coordinator of the Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition. “We want to continue to encourage our community to seek and share resources and to realize the importance of reaching out and checking in on each other.”

The silhouettes will be distributed as the initiative is launched on August 21st at Music on the Square in New Philadelphia. Please join us at 4:00pm to hear a recovery story by a local young woman, and a proclamation from a County Commissioner recognizing both National Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month.

The overall message of this initiative is that Tuscarawas County is a community that cares, and “There is Always Hope.” Residents are invited to attend the August 21st event at Music on the Square and to share the message of hope and the information and resources made available through Project Hope.

For more information about the local work of the ADC, visit adctusc.org.

For information about services available in the county, contact the ADAMHS Board at adamhtc.org.

Visit www.adctusc.org for all your information about the Coalition and different types of drug use and prevention.

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