SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. – On January 1, Harrington will kick off a new campaign which conveys how one person can make a big difference.
The Power of One is a community-driven movement in support of local recovery services. Business owners across southern Worcester County are getting involved from January 1 to April 1, creating innovative and engaging ways to raise money to help people struggling with substance use and mental health issues access care locally.
Rovezzi’s Restaurant in Sturbridge, for example, is donating $1 for every chicken parmigiana dish sold between January 1 and April 1. Owner Chris Rovezzi said being a small business owner is not just about expecting the community to support you; it’s about supporting the community whenever you can.
In Southbridge, Finally Lisa’s Salon owner Lisa Bodreau is offering a $1 donation for every product or service available in her salon from January 1 to April 1. This includes any hair or nail service and any accessory or product sold in her Hamilton Street store. A longtime Southbridge business owner, Bodreau said she has seen firsthand how substance use and mental health has affected the community. “Everyone says ‘They will help, they will give’,’” she said. “But the ‘they’ is we.”
The Fitness Studio’s Jennifer Looney says there likely isn’t anyone who hasn’t been touched by the opioid epidemic or mental health disorders in this area. Her Dudley fitness studio is participating in the Power of One this spring by offering a series of instructor challenges and other creative, health-inspired opportunities for its members to give back.
Community members are encouraged to support the Power of One by visiting these and other local businesses and taking advantage of the available offers.
“What we really want to convey is this campaign will benefit our community – Brimfield to Oxford to Thompson, Connecticut and all towns in between,” said Karen Spiewak, Harrington director of development. “These recovery services are for the people who live next door–your colleagues, your extended family and members of your church. This campaign is providing help and saving lives locally.”
Business owners are encouraged to contact Karen at 508-765-8191 for information on how they can participate in the Power of One campaign.
More information about the Power of One, including a full list of participating businesses updated regularly, is available by visiting power-of-one.org.
Harrington has embarked on a large behavioral health initiative over the past two years. The initiatives include the creation of a patient navigator program–which connects mental health clinicians, nurses and social workers to individuals needing care—as well as a larger presence in local drug courts. Harrington offers individuals the option to enroll in one of its many behavioral health treatment programs in lieu of incarceration. There are also a number of growing outpatient recovery clinics and behavioral health offices across multiple locations in the region.
Perhaps the largest initiative is the newly-constructed 8,200 square-foot recovery services center in Webster, which includes a 16 bed adult co-occurring disorders unit (CDU), as well as a partial hospitalization program and comprehensive outpatient services. The center is the first in central and western Massachusetts to treat mental health and substance use disorder and will fill a large void across southern Worcester county as well as northeastern Connecticut.
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