Richmond County has a positive story to tell. Once ranked highest in North Carolina for fentanyl-positive death rates, the county no longer appears among the state’s top ten in the newest report.
That encouraging milestone comes as local organizations and community partners continue working to help people reach treatment and rebuild their lives. The Richmond County Rescue Mission has made a substantial contribution to that recovery effort, alongside the Drug Endangered Family Task Force, known as DEFT, and the partners supporting this work.
For the past year and a half, the Rescue Mission has transported approximately three people each week from the streets of Richmond County to detox and treatment facilities. Week after week, that commitment has connected people in crisis with an opportunity to begin again.
For many, the journey has continued through the Mission’s “From the Street to Your Feet” program. People who once faced homelessness and addiction have gained sobriety, pursued education, found employment and begun giving back to the community.
Those accomplishments bring the meaning of recovery into focus. A person who once needed help is now able to help someone else. An opportunity to enter treatment becomes an opportunity to return to school, earn a paycheck and build a future.
The Mission’s contribution begins with meeting people where they are and helping them take that first step. It continues through the work of rebuilding a life beyond addiction. Transportation to treatment and support through recovery connect an immediate need with longer-term opportunity.
The DEFT board and its community partners also deserve recognition for their dedication to Richmond County’s progress. Through partnerships, public education, efforts to expand treatment access and recommendations for investing opioid settlement funds, DEFT helps strengthen the community’s response to addiction. Its work complements the daily efforts of organizations reaching people directly.
The Rescue Mission recognizes the support of its Foundation Partners: The Community Foundation of Richmond County, State Employees Credit Union, The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, The Village Chapel, Amazon, and the Hayes Family Foundation.
Their support helps sustain the Mission’s work and reflects a shared belief in the potential of people rebuilding their lives. These partnerships help make it possible to keep showing up for residents who need an opportunity to move forward.
Community businesses are another valued part of that support. The Mission extends its appreciation to RH McRae Electrical Contractor, Premier Real Estate, Resilience Therapy Services, Miracle Hair Salon, Diesel Dog Poultry Farm, Ironhorse Auctions, Murphy Electric, and K&W Welding, whose soccer sponsorships support community activities and demonstrate a commitment to the people of Richmond County.
Together, these supporters, the DEFT board, treatment providers, volunteers and the people doing the hard work of recovery are helping Richmond County write a more hopeful chapter.
Moving out of the state’s top ten is a milestone worth celebrating. So are the individual achievements taking place every day through “From the Street to Your Feet”: sobriety, education, employment and service to others.
For the Richmond County Rescue Mission, those lives are at the heart of the story. Every ride to treatment offers a beginning. Every person who moves forward carries that hope back into the community.
