A “Hope Hub” Opens In Ormond Beach

Special to Seniors Today

Did you know that more the 230 people in Volusia County have died from overdoses this year? Recovery from substance use disorder is possible and should be expected.

In 2018, community members came together to talk about solutions for overdose and the widespread destruction that happens from unresolved substance use disorder (SUD). Based on several community planning meetings, a Symposium was organized by the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) that was funded by the Aetna Foundation on January 26, 2019.

Input from this participatory process led to the birth of the Volusia Recovery Alliance (VRA). VRA is a peer driven Recovery Community Organization (RCO), a nonprofit that incorporated in May 2019.

We are people in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), our peers, families, and allies. Our success comes from the teamwork of our strong, committed, and diverse network of allies and individuals in recovery. We are proud of the positive impact we have made in saving lives. To date, VRA has distributed 4,333 lifesaving Narcan kits, trained 1,776 people on how to reverse an overdose and gotten reports that our Narcan has saved 125 lives.

Friday, October 7 was a special day for the Volusia Recovery Alliance culminating years of challenging work, commitment, dedication, love, and hope from its community. Its grand Opening Ribbon Cutting event officially launched the VRA Hope Hub, a place where people struggling with substance use disorder, their families, friends, and allies can come together to get the support they need.

VRA has already been doing amazing work throughout Volusia County and to officially have a place to call “home” where so many resources and support is available is a dream come true. It is a place where lived experience is combined with education and training, where judgement is not welcomed, where stigma and shame are transformed, and where care, love, and hope are most important. It is what VRA is all about!