Today is the second day of the April Blogging Challenge and the Letter for today is, B. For this letter I have chosen to tell you about a local group who is helping out in the fight against this heroin epidemic. They are the WV Chapter of Bikers Against Heroin. I feel honored to do this post.In case you haven't heard of them before you might be wondering, just who are the Bikers Against Heroin? What do they do?
This group was founded in November 2015 and is headed by Dee Stotelmyer Pierce, President of the Group. Bikers Against Heroin WV Chapter filed for 5013c nonprofit status in May of 2016.
The group currently has about 1,072 members on and off their
Facebook page as well as board members who serve the group.
They are:
President Dee Pierce
Vice President Jason (Jellyroll) Wright
They are looking to add two more positions in the near future.
Dee tells me,
"The Bikers Against Heroin is a local nonprofit group. We help in our community with providing help with fundraisers and providing education and education material against heroin and other drugs to those needing it.Our focus is to offer support for anyone affected by addiction, be it families needing information and support as well as providing some support to those who are addicted in our community. We share our experiences with each other in the hopes of helping people feel less alone during the time a person is actively using and abusing heroin, and during the addiction recovery process.
We offer resources that we have and direct addicts and families through the proper channels to get a lifestyle free from drugs in order for them to learn to live a clean and prosperous life. We plan to build our group through various fundraising. You don't have to ride to help, volunteer or belong to Bikers Against Heroin. We intend to offer our recovery resources to stay working and hope to help with plans for our town."
Over the past year, Bikers Against Heroin have raised funds for and helped in a variety of ways. For instance
They fed a family at Thanksgiving
Provided a Christmas for a local teen who would have otherwise not had a Christmas
They have helped the Oxford Women's Sober Home by providing them heaters.
They have made homeless donations to Callahan Counseling
Provided countless literature and Say No To Drugs Coloring book for the children in the care of Project Aware.
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| A BAH Ride |
Dee tells me,
"Bikers Against Heroin is there when the call goes out to help those suffering from addiction as well has helped with several other local groups providing the same."
This year the Bikers Against Heroin is focusing their attention on transportation for those needing to get to treatment centers around the State, but don't often have a ride or have trouble finding someone who can offer a ride.
To those who read my blog you know one of the biggest problems we face here is that we have no treatment center here for those locally who suffer from addiction. We will have a detox center opening soon, but we don't have any treatment center to offer care following detox. Often our locals have to go to Huntington, WV which is a five and a half hour drive away from this area. OR they go outside of the state to get help. Most of these local groups all agree that we need a treatment center right here in this area of the Eastern Panhandle.
Dee also says,
"We want to keep building funds to distribute throughout our community wherever needed to help combat various areas of our heroin epidemic."
They have a Poker Run coming up soon. For more information on the Bikers Against Heroin, their Poker Run fund raiser or if you would like to make a donation to this group, help, or volunteer with them at one of their fundraisers; or if you just want to join their group, please contact Dee on Facebook @ Bikers Against Heroin WV Chapter I have provided the link for you. Just click on Bikers Against Heroin, WV Chapter
You can also call 304-995-3191 or email @ adpierce370@gmail.com
You can also look them up on the Internet by typing Bikers Against Heroin, WV Chapter in the search box.
Many thanks to Dee for taking time out of her very busy schedule to offer some information about her group, Bikers Against Heroin. We hope to bring more stories and posts from her in the future. I hope you have enjoyed reading about this group of people serving our local area.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Many thanks to this group for the services they provide helping those locally and for caring about our local heroin epidemic. Please feel free to leave a comment.
Stay tuned in for tomorrow's post when I take a closer look at the C words associated with addiction.
Credits for this post:
Letter pic Blogging A-Z
pic used belongs to Dee Stotelmyer Pierce and Bikers Against Heroin
Content for this post by Dee Stotelmyer Pierce
© 2017 Gossip Girl
I live in upstate New York, and I work with someone whose son (exactly a year older than my son) is addicted to heroin. I worry daily about my son, because it is all around here, too. This is a fight every community in this country must win. No treatment center. How familiar sounding.
ReplyDeleteHi You didn't give the age of your son. I know you are no doubt worried about your sons friend and their connection. I would suggest getting all the information you can about heroin and talking to your son. Tell him how you feel. Heroin is a drug that it takes just one time.
DeleteMy son was just 19 and has told me he tried it because his friends were using it and told him how great it is. He is now 13 years into this addiction. It has ravaged his body and his mind.
You are absolutely right- this is a fight we all must win. If only to save the generation of children whose parents use and abuse heroin. Not one more life should be lost to this disease!
Thank you for stopping by and reading today!
If my step brother was still alive, he would be totally into that group. (Harley Rider who had seen the hard life.)
ReplyDeleteIn our town, the #1 drug of choice at the moment is heroin. Very scary.
L Diane Wolfe Thanks for stopping by and reading. Your step brother would be welcomed into this particular Bikers Group.
DeleteHeroin is devastating many towns and cities across the US. Heroin has no limits on the destruction it creates in lives nor to the families who go through this each and every day.