Fourth Annual Overdose and Prevention Vigil to Commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day Aug. 29
The public is invited to attend the fourth annual Overdose and Prevention Vigil on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. The vigil commemorates International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event, aimed at raising awareness of overdose and reducing the stigma of drug related deaths. The event will be held in the Executive Office Building cafeteria, located at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville. A resource fair featuring substance abuse prevention and treatment information will be held at 5:30 p.m.
The theme for this year’s program — We’re All in This Together — will be a gathering for education, remembrance and hope. Fatal overdoses have risen sharply and many community residents have been personally touched by addiction. One in five adults experience a mental health issue each year and yet there remains stigma attached to the issues of mental illness and addiction which often causes people to suffer silently. Organizers hope that by rallying together as a community, Montgomery County can combat the isolation and shame that can stand in the way of prevention, treatment, support and recovery.
Those wishing to have a loved one memorialized in a video can send up to eight photos, with name, date of birth and date of death to mcrememberingourlovedones@gmail.com . Submissions are needed by Thursday, Aug. 22.
The event is hosted by S.O.U.L. (Surviving Our Ultimate Loss), a support group for families who have lost a child to a fatal overdose, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Circuit Court’s Adult Drug Court and the City of Rockville.
Free parking is available in the jury parking lot located at the corner of East Jefferson (Rt. 28) and Monroe Streets.
For more information, call 240-777-1400.
Free Training on Naloxone
Residents concerned about a friend or family member with an opioid addiction are invited to attend a free training to learn about reducing unintentional and life-threatening opioid overdoses with the use of Naloxone, a prescription medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
The two-hour training will be offered Tuesday, Aug, 27, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Department of Health and Human Services, 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville
Participants who complete the training will receive a free Naloxone kit. Tips on overdose prevention and resources detailing local and national resources will be provided. The training is free but registration is required. Email OverdoseResponseProgram@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-1836 to register.
Low-interest Loans May Be Available to Residents and Businesses Impacted by July 8 Flooding
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making disaster loans available to those impacted by July 8 flooding damages. Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is hosting a Disaster Loan Outreach Center to assist residents and businesses who may be eligible for financial assistance due to damage from the July 8 flood.
The DLOC will be located at the J. Thomas Manger Public Safety Headquarters located at 100 Edison Park Drive in Gaithersburg. The DLOC will be staffed by the SBA to assist affected business owners and residents with questions about disaster loan programs, and help individuals complete their applications.
The SBA provides low-interest, long-term disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster damaged property.
“I want to thank everyone who submitted information to our damage assessment portal,” said Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Earl Stoddard. “The submitted data helped determine that our region met the eligibility threshold to receive disaster loan assistance.”
The scheduled date and hours of the DLOC are:
Wednesday, Aug. 14 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, Aug.15 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 16 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 17 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 19 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 21 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information is available on the website.