Lawrence County is blessed to have great nonprofits working very hard to meet needs many of us aren’t even aware of. It’s a privilege for me to bring attention to their work as often as I can.
The Lawrence County Substance Abuse Prevention (LCSAP) Coalition takes on many projects with a single purpose in mind: helping people escape the terrible effects of substance abuse. This includes helping youth avoid it altogether, helping children removed from homes where substance abuse takes place, and helping people recover from substance use disorder.
Its latest project is related to the third item on the list. LCSAP’s Ginger Wells-Smith finds treatment options and often personally delivers people to recovery centers through the region. A grant from Tennessee’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services funds her position and others like it across the state, so she often helps, or is at least aware of, a great number of people entering and leaving recovery.
People going to treatment have almost always hit rock bottom. They’ve often lost their jobs, families, and homes. They are broke and broken. Some are trading a jail cell for treatment, including the men and women in our Recovery Court program.
Ginger and her counterparts see their needs and LCSAP is asking our community to help meet them. Project Blessing Bags will assemble basic items that people need when they enter and leave treatment facilities.
“Small things can make a big difference,” said LCSAP Director Trea Dunnavant. People take a huge step when they seek treatment; Blessing Bags will make that step and the others that follow – including the reclamation of productive lives – easier.
All items should be taken to LCSAP offices at 202 Deller Street, Lawrenceburg. Donations can also be mailed to that address or sent via Venmo to @LCSAP. LCSAP has a website and is on Facebook. For more information about Blessing Bags, call 931-766-4175 or 931-477-0681.
Assembling items for Blessing Bags could be an awesome project for any church or civic group. Dunnavant says LCSAP will host a “packing party” in the fall and begin distribution in November.
Items needed include:
*Sturdy backpacks (Clear backpacks are required for those entering treatment)
*First Aid kit
*Light blanket
*Reusable water bottle
*Non-perishable snack items
*Small storage containers
*Travel pillow
*Ziplock bags
*Food gift cards
*Wash cloths/towels
*Laundry detergent
*Hand soap/dish soap
*Gloves
*Hand warmers
*Hand sanitizer
*Facial/Baby wipes
*Hair brush/Comb
*Socks
*Beanie
*Toilet paper
*Toothbrush
*Toothpaste
*Chap Stick
*Deodorant
*Mouthwash
*Protective container for documents
*Journal/Notebook
*Feminine hygiene products
*Lotion
*Shampoo & Conditioner
*Body Wash
*Socks
*Sunscreen
*Fingernail files
*Tissues
NOTE: All liquid items should be alcohol-free
