This past Sunday, Moving Starke County Forward hosted an event for Overdose Awareness at Wythogan Park. The event honored the community’s first responders as well as featured moving testimony from a former addict who is now working to raise awareness and promote recovery. Continue reading
Starke County Sees Slight Improvements in Annual Health Rankings
Starke County has moved up slightly in annual health rankings, but it’s still toward the bottom. The County Health Rankings, which are put together each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute, were released Wednesday. Continue reading
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Feature Moving Starke County Forward
Community nonprofit organization Moving Starke County Forward is receiving national attention for its efforts to improve health outcomes for local residents. Continue reading
Sunday Vigil to Mark International Overdose Awareness Day
Moving Starke County Forward is trying to take the stigma out of drug overdoses with a Sunday evening event at Wythogan Park in Knox. Advocates and community members will remember the 61 lives lost in Starke County with a candlelight vigil and share information about the perils and pitfalls of drug use. Jordan Morris from Starke County Community Corrections says people who use drugs are less likely to be aware of the potential consequences of their actions. She says common rationalizations include “I know my limit” or “I always test what I get first, so I know the strength of it.” She adds mixing different types of drugs can often prove fatal. Continue reading
Moving Starke County Forward Schedules Community Addiction Discussion
The Moving Starke County Forward Coalition wants input from the entire community about how to best address addiction issues. They are hosting a community discussion on addiction and recovery tomorrow evening at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in downtown Knox. Board member Jordan Morris from Starke County Community Corrections hopes people from all walks of life will come be part of the dialogue and not worry about being profiled or judged. She says although people who have struggled with addiction will speak, the event is not limited to that population. Morris adds the entire community has been touched by the issue as taxpayers, business owners, health care providers, farmers and teachers. Continue reading
