Buckhannon, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan College recently announced the award of a $15,000 grant from the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon in support of the continuation of the WVa Recovers collaborative.
WVa Recovers is a collective group of Wesleyan faculty, regional service providers, and concerned citizens focusing on how to combat the substance abuse crisis from a multifaceted approach. The group held its first symposium on September 20-21 on the campus of WVWC using professionals in public health, science, community development, and criminal justice to provide education across disciplines.
The award from the Pallottine Foundation will support WVa Recovers’ efforts to continue the momentum created by the symposium. The next planned activity, in collaboration with the WV Office of Drug Control Policy, is to present City of Solutions: Guidebook to What Works (and what does not) in Reducing the Impact of Substance Use on Local Communities. This will be followed up with a deliberative community dialogue on regional approaches to substance use recovery. These gatherings will conclude with the development of action steps to implement specific initiatives identified by community members.
“We are extremely grateful to the Pallottine Foundation for this award,” said Dr. Susan Aloi, Wesleyan faculty and WVa Recovers planning team member. “The success of the first symposium shows the need for information and education in this region. The grant award will allow this collective to bridge the gap and involve individuals from many walks of life, throughout our regional communities, in learning about integrative approaches, reviewing evidence-based programs, and leading action-based solutions to substance use disorder recovery.”
For more information about WVa Recovers, please contact one of the following planning team members, Dr. Aloi, professor of business and economics, Dr. Bruce Anthony, professor of biochemistry, Dr. Theresa Poling, professor of nursing, or Prof. Travis Zimmerman, professor of criminal justice, by calling Wesleyan’s main telephone number 304-473-8000.
