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The Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition will host a Memorial Walk on September 30 to remember those who lost their lives to addiction.

The walk will be held at Fred Miller Park at the Bishop Goodman Shelter. Registration is free and will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the walk starting at 6 p.m. Anyone who participates will get a free t-shirt and a snack bag,

The HCSAC aims to bring comfort to those in the community who have lost loved ones due to addiction.

“We just want to bring people together in the community to remember those who lost their lives to addiction and families who are dealing with loved ones currently with addiction,” said Stephanie Hardy, executive director of Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition.

“We want to surround those who have lost loved ones and let them know they are not alone in these hard times.”

She explained that she hopes this event will also bring awareness to substance abuse and how it affects families.

“It’s an awareness event,” Hardy said. “We want to bring awareness to the harms of addiction and how it can negatively affect families, while also showcasing the programs we offer to the community to fight substance abuse.”

The Family Recovery Workshops offer families information on how to help a loved one battling addiction.

The workshops facilitated by Hardy are a series of lectures, activities, and discussions that provide education, guidance, and support for families impacted by a loved one’s addiction.

Families learn about the Neurobiology of Addiction, enabling and codependency, communication, setting healthy boundaries and the process of recovery.

Its Building Skills Program is designed for youth and enhances self-esteem, encourages healthy choices, increases self-discipline, improves social skills, discourages negative thinking and promotes mutual respect.

The program utilizes lectures, group and individual participation, experiential activities, games, fun, laughter and real-life presentations from individuals with stories or positive encouragement from many different backgrounds.

It is designed to provide information to the youth in the community on several topics including Abuse and Violence Anxiety, Stress, Depression and Suicide, Drugs and Alcohol and much more.

HSCAC’s Youth Connections Program is a drug prevention and youth leadership project intended to harness the power of peer pressure-making it a positive force to encourage young adults to live free of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

In October, HSCAC will host a fundraiser to help cover costs of items that grants won’t purchase.

Paul’s Prevention Mini Golf Tournament will be held Saturday October 14th at Mossy Creek Mini Golf

The organization is pre selling tickets at $10. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the HSCAC’s office.

For more information about the Hamblen County Substance Abuse Coalition or its programs, visit its website or call 423-748-7494.