Public Meeting in Cherryville To Discuss Opioid Settlement Funds
By: Wise News Network Staff
Cherryville, NC (WNN) – Gaston County’s Community Support Services (CSS) division will host its final public input meeting on August 29th, 2024. The meeting will gather feedback from Cherryville community members on how they would like the Opioid Settlement Funds to be utilized. It will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Cherryville Community Building, located at 106 South Jacob Street in Cherryville, NC.
As per a previous press release from Gaston County on July 22nd, 2024, the County is set to receive approximately $40 million over an 18-year period from the state of North Carolina to address the opioid epidemic due to the nationwide opioid settlements. CSS, a division of the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for making recommendations to the Gaston County Board of Commission, which will ultimately decide how the opioid settlement funds will be allocated.
CSS staff has already conducted two prior public input meetings across Gaston County:
– August 13th, 6-8 p.m., Mt. Holly Municipal Complex (400 E. Central Ave., Mt. Holly)
– August 20th, 9-11 a.m., First United Methodist Church (190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia)
Gaston County, NC, has received over $8.7 million since the funds were received in fiscal year 2022. To date, the County has funded nine programs, including the Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) Community Paramedicine Program and Post Overdose Response Team, Recovery Transportation, peer support services, and affordable Medication-Assisted Treatment for Gaston County residents. Statistical data and other information about the County’s opioid funding plan can be found on the Gaston County Opioid Settlement Funds dashboard.
According to Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS), there have been 3,188 reported opioid overdoses from 2021 to 2024 year-to-date, and between 2021 and 2023, approximately 326 of those overdoses were fatal. However, the data for overdose fatalities for 2024 is not yet available.
For further information about the public meeting, please email Gaston County Community Support Services or call the CSS Hotline at 704-862-7843.
If interested in attending, the details for the Opioid Settlement Fund Public Meeting are as follows:
– Date: Thursday, August 29th
– Time: 1-3 p.m.
– Location: Cherryville Community Building, 106 S. Jacob St., Cherryville, NC 28021
– Gaston County Opioid Settlement Funding Plan: https://www.gastongov.com/DocumentCenter/View/4856/Gaston-County-Opioid-Funding-Plan-2023-PDF
– Opioid Settlement Funds Dashboard:
https://www.gastongov.com/1193/Opioid-Settlement-Funds-Dashboard
ยฉWNN
For more WNN video news stories, visit YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wisenewsnetwork.
For more WNN articles and news stories, visit: https://wisenewsnetwork.com
Contact WNN at [email protected]
Copyright 2024 Wise News Network. All rights reserved.
