Behavioral health and criminal justice professionals came together with the community to plant a Japanese maple tree on Water Street to observe International Overdose Awareness Day. Lake Geagai Recovery Centers and the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services partnered to host the event, Planting Hope, to affirm our sense of community, build awareness to support recovery, and pay tribute to those lost to overdose.
This year marked the first tree planting ceremony in Geauga County to commemorate the day. “I love the idea of planting roots here”, said Michelle Maneage, clinical and compliance manager for the GCBMHRS. “Roots are planted here in the recovery house, and they are nurtured when they leave. Recovery is about coming back and giving back. It’s integrated into the recovery model”.
Attendees were encouraged to wear purple to memorialize those lost to overdose. “It’s beautiful and wonderful to plant this tree in memory of those lost in recovery”, said LGRC board member Josie Passafiume, who wore purple sunglasses. She joined the semi-circle of attendees in the parking lot where Christine Lakomiak, executive director of the GCBMHRS, spoke about recovery.
“Although it’s a sad day, it’s a hopeful day”, Lakomiak said. Standing before the diminutive maple that will continue to grow, Lakomiak described the costs of addiction and the resilience needed to overcome it. “Overdose doesn’t just claim lives, it shatters families, and it ripples through communities.”
Geauga has witnessed a dramatic decrease in overdose deaths since 2021, when they had a total of 19, adding that this year, that number dropped to zero until last month when board members learned of a county resident’s death from overdose. “Our fight is far from over,” Lakomiak said. “Each life is not a number, it’s a story. Tree planting stands for hope, and hope is not passive, it’s active”.
LGRC’s Matt Petersen, a prevention specialist, praised the network of agencies and service providers who provide treatment to learn the tools for sustainable recovery. “No one is ever turned away, and we provide a trauma-informed environment of support so (those in recovery) can lead their most abundant lives”, he said. Petersen asked for a moment of silence to remember those stories before thanking Maple Ridge Nursery and Garden Center for their donation of the tree at the center of the day’s observances.
Jane Bagnall, who provides peer recovery support at LGRC, spoke about her struggle with alcoholism and her journey to hard-won sobriety. In a heartfelt speech, Bagnall described the tolls incurred during her battle with addiction, including the loss of her former career as a teacher. As she spoke, Greg Potts, Geauga County New Leaf Drug Court probation officer, provided words of encouragement from the sidelines. “You said you couldn’t go back to teaching, but that’s exactly what you did,” Potts said.
As the ceremony ended, and attendees broke into clusters of conversation, Potts reflected on the meaning of the day. “Today is about continuing education and reminding people that we all have a place in our community to lift each other up,” he said. “None of us is better than anyone else, but some of us are in a better position to help others”.
As attendees gathered around the kitchen table of the recovery house to share lunch, chat, and reflect, Dave Hanlon, director of residential services for LGRC, said it was an important day that marked the work taking place at that house and other centers throughout Geauga and Lake counties. “Our tenants here have jobs, do chores, they pay rent,” he said. “It’s a safe place to be. There’s no length of stay requirement. They observe a curfew, sign in, and sign out. It’s a safe place.”
Theresa Smalley, an outpatient receptionist for LGRC, reminded people that there is always hope. “If you are ready, we’re here to help you, to guide you,” she said.
For more information, visit www.lgrc.us.
