WOOD RIVER – Riverbend Family Ministries is collaborating with Amare, a non-profit support group for individuals in recovery. Amare, meaning love in Italian, focuses on just that, loving and helping those in active drug recovery, or addiction and becoming a safe place for them to get support and have as a resource.

Director and Founder of Amare, Ty Bechel, is a recovering addict himself and is excited about the new partnership and newly formed alliance and plans on mitigating addiction that is ravishing throughout Madison County.

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“By offering recovery support to those in need and linking them to treatment services and additional recovery support in the area, we will be able to be with them every step of the way until they are ready to walk on their own,” said Bechel.

According to the Madison County Coroner’s Office, 87 people lost their lives last year in Madison County due to drug abuse, which sets 2017 as one of the highest years with record breaking deaths from drug overdoses. They say, this does not even include the hundreds of calls our first responders have received to revive or treat individuals in a life threatening circumstance.

Riverbend Family Ministries Executive Director, Tammy Iskarous is very hopeful for this collaboration and says it comes at a good time when the drug epidemic is becoming an overwhelming problem in our community.

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“Since our focus is all about serving individuals and their families that are in crisis due to violence, addiction, homelessness or poverty, it only seems natural to partner with Amare,” said Iskarous. To be able to walk this journey with our families is a privilege and together we will see generations changed.”

Wood River Fire Chief, Brendan McKee and his team are trained and prepared to use Naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan to treat an overdose in an emergency situation.

“No one wants the call in the middle of the night that their loved one has overdosed, it breaks our hearts every time we get the call to an overdose emergency,” said McKee. “I think it’s wonderful that Riverbend Family Ministries is collaborating their resources with Ty and his program, not only will this enhance everyone’s awareness, but bring more solutions to an ever-growing program in our community.”

The partnership and newly forged alliance between Amare and Riverbend Family Ministries aim to mitigate addiction that is ravishing throughout Madison County by reinstating the final piece of the puzzle, love.

The combined resources that both programs have will offer something unique and be the first stepping stone to the individual’s (or their family’s) overall wellness.

For more information, go to www.amarenfp.org or www.RiverbendFamilyMinistries.com.

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