The community is invited to take part in an event to support those in recovery for drug and alcohol abuse. On Sunday, Sept. 23, a family-friendly celebration will include live music, door prizes, an art show and sale and food vendors. The free event will be 1pm – 4pm Sunday (Sept. 23) at Empie Park, 3405 Park Avenue (shelters #1 and #2). There will be agencies sharing community resources, and Celebrate Recovery will have a presence as well.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month is celebrated each September in communities across the nation to help recognize that substance use disorders are as treatable as other chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and that recovery is possible.

Speakers will include City of Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and New Hanover Commissioner Ted Davis.

The keynote speaker will be Mary Kelly, a certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor and clinical supervisor in North Carolina. She attended Rutgers University School of Alcohol/Drug Studies in New Jersey and the Duke University School of Alcohol and Drugs in North Carolina. Former addicts will also share experiences with alcoholism and drug use at an early age, which led to a “dual diagnosis” involving co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

It is reported that only 10 percent of Americans who need treatment for substance abuse actually receive it, according to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Recovery Month encourages people affected by addiction to seek treatment and recovery services so they can reclaim healthy and productive lives in their community.

For more information, contact Liz Pina at Coastal Horizons Center at 910-202-0840 or epina@coastalhorizons.org.