‘Everybody has a why’

MOSES LAKE — Community organizations gathered at McCosh Park on Saturday to mark National Overdose Awareness Day, connecting residents with education, prevention tools and recovery resources during an event hosted by the Grant County Health District in partnership with the Moses Lake Farmers Market. 

Dozens of community members stopped by booths staffed by health care providers, recovery organizations, housing and employment specialists, and substance use prevention advocates. Representatives distributed Narcan, medication lock bags and information about local services while encouraging conversations about overdose prevention and recovery. 

For Megan Watson, coordinator of the Moses Lake Community Coalition, the event was an opportunity to emphasize prevention as a key part of the conversation surrounding substance use. 

"When you're talking about substance use and recovery and treatment and all of that, we should be talking about prevention," Watson said. 

Watson said the coalition focuses on addressing root causes before a crisis develops, including helping youth build emotional regulation skills and increasing positive connections within the community. 

"Our goal is to dig down to the root causes of substance use and then start affecting those things," she said. "We're really looking for coming well before a crisis ever possibly could happen." 

The coalition encouraged visitors to pledge small actions that can make a difference, such as supporting youth activities or safely storing medications at home. 

"I really like to acknowledge, these look like little things to you, but if we were all aware of these little things and making it a priority to do these things, we would see big impact," Watson said. 

Several organizations at the event focused on helping people rebuild their lives after addiction, homelessness or incarceration. 

Representatives from GOALS Washington, which stands for Golden Opportunities and Local Support, said the organization helps individuals access housing, employment and other support services. The program serves people with Medicaid who have a mental health diagnosis, substance use disorder, or both. 

"Housing is super important," said housing specialist Kara Fithen. "Some of the biggest barriers are not being able to shower, get dressed, have a good place to sleep, have a healthy meal. Stable housing is very, very important." 

Employment specialist Cassie Dutcher said meaningful work also plays a critical role in recovery. 

"A lot of people get so discouraged once they get denied for employment or rejected," Dutcher said. "We jump in and we're like pocket cheerleaders. We're here for you. Let us support you." 

The organization has been serving Grant County for about a year, helping clients build confidence and self-sufficiency through individualized support plans. 

Recovery housing provider Oxford House also participated in the event. 

Oxford House member Nichole Martinez described the organization as a network of democratically run recovery homes that provide stability and accountability for people seeking sobriety. 

"They offer a sense of stability and learning to be accountable for yourself," Martinez said. 

Residents can remain in Oxford House as long as they continue meeting program requirements, allowing newer members to learn from those with more long-term recovery experience. 

"I wish I would have known it sooner," Martinez said. "It changed my life completely." 

Patrick Noe said the houses are self-sustaining and support one another when needed. 

"It's pretty much like we're sharing what we learned coming in to the next person, so they can share it to the next person that's coming in," Noe said. 

Representatives from Renew highlighted treatment and recovery support services, including helping individuals access residential treatment programs and maintain connections to resources afterward. 

"We love working in this field. We love what we do," said Elaina Santa-Cruz, a substance use disorder professional. 

Staff members invited attendees to share reasons to keep moving forward in recovery and encouraged community members to support those struggling with substance use. 

"Everyone deserves a chance," Santa-Cruz said. "It's never too late to change. It's never too late to ask for help." 

Renew employee Megan Cloyd said public attitudes toward addiction and mental health have shifted in recent years, making conversations easier. 

"People know what mental health is now. They know what substance use is," Cloyd said. "Just continue and get that word out." 

Representatives also stressed the importance of community support and connection. 

"The opposite of addiction is connection," Cloyd said. 

Columbia Basin Hospital used the event to promote behavioral health services, medication safety and overdose-prevention resources. 

Goziechi Abonyi, the hospital's communications development assistant, said staff distributed medication lock bags, Narcan and information about the hospital's behavioral health and counseling services. 

The hospital recently launched integrated behavioral health services through its Family Medicine Clinic, offering support for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide prevention. 

"We are here to spread awareness of support and ways for people to connect and get some tools to help with the opioid crisis," Abonyi said. 

Grant County Health District staff members said the event has grown substantially since it began four years ago. 

Mariah Munoz, the district's harm reduction program coordinator, said organizations distributed almost 100 doses of Narcan and educated residents about its role in preventing overdose deaths. 

"A lot of people come and get Narcan, and they have the mentality that it's only for people who do drugs," Munoz said. "We try to educate them and let them know that it's also good to have it at home." 

Munoz noted that Narcan can be used during accidental overdoses involving prescription opioids and can even be administered to pets in emergency situations. 

Health educator Mary Castro said conversations about overdose prevention have become easier as awareness has increased. 

"It seems like those conversations have been getting a lot better," Castro said. "It's better to have it at home. You never know." 

The health district also invited visitors to dedicate flags in memory of lives lost to overdose and in recognition of lives saved. 

As attendees moved between booths throughout the day, organizers said the event's goal was simple: remind people that help is available and recovery is possible. 

"I would hope that they would walk away with – everybody has a why," Munoz said. "There are various reasons for overdose. At the end of the day, everybody has a why."  

    During the National Overdose Awareness Day event at McCosh Park, employees at Renew had a posterboard asking who or what gave attendees a reason to choose another day. Various attendees answered with differing answers on what keeps them motivated.
  

    Representatives from GOALS Washington, which stands for Golden Opportunities and Local Support, said the organization helps individuals access housing, employment and other support services. Housing specialist Kara Fithen (left) and employment specialist Cassie Dutcher (right) said the event was a success because they were able to get more information and resources out to the community.