An Open Letter to the Community

Rochester Recovery Film Festival Open Town Hall Meeting
September 14, 2014
12:00p.m.-1:300p.m.
Monroe Community College
Topics
Treatment, Prevention,Education, Addiction in Our Community

Thank You for taking the time to read this letter. I write this letter in effort to persuade you to possibly put aside some time on Sunday September 14,2014. I realize how precious time can be. After all Sunday is a day of rest, a day to spend time with the family, a day to watch some football, right? Well I am still going to ask you to put aside a few hours to come join in, to be apart of, to help out, to bring some families back together, to help maybe someone living on the streets, to help your community, your town, your village, your neighborhood.

You see what I am asking you to do is help, inspire, educate, teach, make others aware, become aware yourself. I hope you can understand that what I'm talking about is a subject that people don't like to talk about. Some of us are ashamed, some of us are mad, some of us are scared, some of us are confused and most of us are misinformed. They call us names,They beat us down, they judge us. We hide, We stand in the shadows, we look down and yes we even deny who we are and what we are.

What! Who not us!

You see all of us as a community even tried to deny that it even existed. Not Here, Not in my Town, Not in my Village, Not in My Neighborhood, Not on my Street, Not in my House, Not in My Family, Not Me!

That only happens in the City, Poor People, Gangs, Thugs, Junkies,

Was that thinking a mistake?

Oh! What a Mistake

I think we know by now that addiction is alive and well in the city, in the suburbs.

I hope we are smart enough to know that sweeping this under the rug , by ignoring it and by listening to a lot of misinformation from a lot of misinformed people is doing us nothing. The results are in - a huge spike in gang violence, more crime, more victims, more drug related overdoses and deaths, more hospital visits, more people homeless, etc,etc.

We can no longer stand in the shadows or live under the rug. We have to do something, you have to do something, our community needs to do something.

You see the media doesn't seem to care about finding a solution. The media doesn't seem to care about slowing down the overdoses, the deaths, the lives destroyed, the families torn apart. The media only seems interested in glamorizing the overdoses, the deaths, the violence, the crime, the stigma.

So if you are an elected public official or representative, we encourage you to come. If you are a public servant involved in law enforcement, EMT, education, fire,anyone we invite you to come. If you are in recovery or want to be in recovery or you have a loved one in active addiction or in long term recovery we encourage you to come.

The Rochester Recovery Film Festival Open Town Hall Meeting

Monroe Community College

 September 14, 2014

12:00 p.m.- 1:30 p.m.

Topics include

Prevention, Treatment, Education, Addiction in our Community

Now about that football game. You might miss the first half but that is what DVR's are for. Plus by showing up you might just help somebody or your community. You might save a life.

David Attridge

Director

Rochester Recovery Film Festival

Rochesterrecoveryfilmfestival.org