By Valerie Franchi, Contributing Writer
Hudson/Marlborough – As part of a push to curb the rising number of deaths caused by opioid addiction in the region, organizations, officials and community members will gather Wednesday, April 6, to show a film about addiction followed by a discussion panel. The event will be held at Grace Baptist Church in Hudson beginning at 6 p.m.
The 38-minute film, “If Only,” was filmed in Tewksbury and produced by James Wahlberg, executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, who will be in attendance to introduce the film.
For one scene in the film, Wahlberg cast Massachusetts parents and families who have lost a loved one to opioid addition. At the end of the film, they are shown one by one holding photos of the loved ones who died.
Marlborough residents and event organizers Kathy Leonard and Cheryl Juaire, who started a local chapter of the national organization GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing) in May following the deaths of their sons, are included in the film.
After her son’s death, Juaire became determined to provide support for other moms and loved ones dealing with this struggle.
“Everything I do for education is so that no parent ever feels the pain I have felt of losing a child, or to be left alone suffering as I was,” she said. “If community leaders and parents can catch kids before they even have their first experience with drugs or when they see early signs of drug use, who knows how many lives could be saved?”
According to the Massachusetts Department of Health, the number of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts in 2012 was 668. There was a sharp increase in 2013 to 911, and then another large leap in 2014 to 1,256.
Grace Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor Marc Pena also has a personal connection to the issue. He was an addict himself, “with a $1,000 a day habit,” but has now been clean for 30 years.
The issue “hit close to home,” he said. “It’s part of my background. I thought our church could contribute in some way. I was happy to collaborate with the Wahlberg Foundation.”
The church, with 1,200 members, has a vibrant 12-step program “Celebrate Recovery,” and is currently reviewing a pilot program called “The Landing,” specifically for teens. According to Pena, it would be the first faith-based teen addiction group in the region.
Pena said he is excited at the buzz already surrounding the event. The 600-capacity event has sold out, but those interested in attending may be placed on a waiting list.
“I’m amazed at the response,” he said. “It has surpassed everyone’s expectations.”
He said the panel following the film screening will be a way to work on solutions to the problem, not just create more awareness.
“There has been a lot to heighten awareness, but no real collective effort in this area,” he noted. “We want to create a platform to bring a majority of community leaders together to connect the dots.”
Pena will be the emcee of the event and will moderate the panel, which will include individuals with various connections to the addiction issue, including Hudson and Marlborough police representatives and members of the Marlborough Substance Use Prevention Coalition and the Hudson Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, who co-organized the event with Grace Baptist Church.
“We don’t want to just say ‘look what a mess we’re in,’” Pena said. “We want to pull people in and address the problem.”
Many addiction resources will be represented at the event such as The Florida House Experience, Healing Hills Village, Wicked Sober, Teen Challenge, Celebrate Recovery, the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery and others.
Juaire said she hopes other communities, including her own, will work to adopt a program similar to one initiated in Gloucester in June. The Gloucester Police Department offered those struggling with addiction to turn over their drugs without prosecution and then connect them with the help that they needed. According to a report, that program has resulted in a 31-percent drop in their crime rate and more than 400 placements in treatment centers.
All are welcome to attend this free event, though parents of college-age children, teens, and younger children are especially encouraged to attend. Grace Baptist Church is located at 353 River Road in Hudson.
To be added to the waiting list, register online at GraceHudson.EventBrite.com. For additional information, Juaire may be reached at 978-562-8550, ext. 100.
To view a preview of “If Only” from the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, visit
www.markwahlbergyouthfoundation.com/if-only/. To view the full-length feature, visit
www.youtube.com and put in search bar “If Only The Best Awareness Video of 2015 Mark Wahlberg Foundation”.