Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Rural Opioid Initiative in partnership with Mid-MO Addiction Awareness Group (MAAG) will host an opioid use disorder awareness walk in Steelville on Sat., Aug. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. 

The walk aims at providing awareness for opioid use disorder. MRPC’s rural opioid initiative works to educate, increase awareness and identify prevention strategies for opioid use disorder throughout the Meramec Region. Resource information will be available at the walk. Area residents are encouraged to join the walk or stop by the information booth to learn about resources for persons and families suffering from opioid use disorder. 

Participants will meet at the Steelville Schools Administration Building, 817 Main St. in Steelville, where sign-ups will be available. The walkers will then travel left onto MO Hwy 19 South and proceed through town. There will be a water stop in the community parking lot by Dollar General. Participants will then return to the administration building, following the same route. It is requested that all pets be left at home. 

“We are excited to work with MAAG to bring SUD awareness walks to our region,” said Bonnie Prigge, executive director of MRPC. “From 2014-2018, 35 people in Crawford County died of drug overdoses. Twenty-one of those were opioid overdoses. When we look at Crawford and its neighboring counties of Dent, Maries and Phelps, there were 117 overdose deaths for that timeframe with 72 of those deaths being opioid overdoses.”

Statistics for 2019 are not yet finalized, Prigge added. 

“Those who lose their lives to opioids are only a small portion of those who suffer from Substance Use Disorder, and it has a tremendous impact on families and communities,” Prigge said. “The purpose of the walk is making others aware of SUD in our communities as MRPC and its partners look for solutions that will aid with prevention, treatment and recovery.”

MAAG’s mission is to raise community awareness, share accurate information and break the stigma that surrounds substance use disorder. 

“SUD awareness walks bring light to the issue of substance use disorder to the communities where they take place,” said Christa Harmon, MRPC Community Development Specialist Assistant. “We walk together, not ashamed of our loved ones who suffer from SUD. We walk together to be a voice for those who have lost their lives due to overdose. We walk together to show recovery can happen.” 

Additional walks will be held in Salem on Aug. 29 and Belle on Oct. 3. 

Persons needing more information on the walk can contact Harmon at 573-265-2993 or by email at charmon@meramecregion.org. Pre-registration is not required.

MRPC is in the second year of a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to collectively reduce the morbidity and mortality rate related to opioid overdoses in our rural communities. This grant is specific to Crawford, Dent, Maries and Phelps counties. 

This awareness walk is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $738,500 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel serves as chairman of the board. A professional staff of 34 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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