Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Shawano County residents will get to hear first-hand accounts of the devastating effects of heroin from two recovering addicts next week.
Rise Together, a recovery advocacy group, will make presentations at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler; 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Boarders Inn and Suites, W7393 River Bend Road, Shawano; and Thursday at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B, Shawano. The SCHS session is open only to students.
Leadership Shawano County is sponsoring the programs with the help the Shawano Area Community Foundation and ThedaCare.
Wednesday’s session is almost at capacity, said Wendy Crawford, Leadership Shawano County coordinator, but there are plenty of seats available for the Bowler presentation. Car pooling to Bowler is available at 4:30 p.m. at the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, 1263 S. Main St., Shawano.
Rise Together was started last year by Anthony Alvarado and Douglas Darby, two former heroin users in long-term recovery, to support others struggling to conquer their addiction. One of the key goals is preventing children and teens from getting hooked.
“It’s different because it’s a story from the perspective of the user,” Crawford said. “They talk about warning signs, and they talk about the reality of being addicted to heroin — what drugs came first and what order.”
Rise Together made a presentation to Leadership Shawano County in 2013, and Crawford said she came away from it with a newfound understanding of how prevalent heroin is in communities everywhere.
Crawford said the presentation made it clear that believing heroin problems do not exist in small towns is a fantasy.
“A couple of years ago, I could not name a person who had used heroin or identify a family who was affected by it. Today I can,” Crawford said.