The Hampshire County Sheriff's Office recently hosted a recovery fair for the residents in the House of Corrections and the Bridge to the Future House.
The fair hosted representatives and information from community organizations such as Hampshire HOPE, Tapestry Health, MiraVista, Learn to COPE, Community Care, the HSO’s Community Justice Support Center, the Northampton Recovery Center, the Recovery Center of HOPE in Ware, the HSO’s yoga and mindfulness instructors, Community Care, On Call, and the HSO’s Medical and MOUD (Medications for Opioid Use Disorder) Teams.
The goal of the fair was to help show the men in their care all aspects of recovery, including the extensive support network available to them in the community once their term of incarceration is complete.
Dakota P. made his way among the tables and displays at the HSO’s Recovery Fair, collecting flyers, and making connections. He wrote a reflection for the Recovery Message Board.
Inside a green paper heart he penned: “Recovery means returning to your original state.”
“This is a beautiful event. Looking out at the dozens of vendors, HSO staff and residents gathered in the HSO’s Visiting Room," he said. “To have all these different community organizations come together for one cause, it’s like they’re saying ‘if you don’t go to recovery, we’ll bring recovery to you.’”
HSO Assistant Deputy Superintendent Mindy Cady, who organized the event, said the purpose of the fair was to bring together a variety of organizations to discuss the different elements of recovery and to help the men in their care shed the stigma that often accompanies addiction.
“It’s not about how many times I slip and fall, it’s about getting back up,” Mindy said. “We are a dedicated group at the HSO, part of the larger community that joined us today, and we are all dedicated to supporting each individual on their path toward recovery. Our message is this: Recovery works, and there are many paths. Just look around this room and see how much support there is for you.”