ODESSA, Texas — Though national recovery month has been observed in the country for a while now, it wasn’t until recently that Odessa began recognizing it.
Freedom for the Basin stepped up to the plate and felt they had to do something to help members of their community recovering from substance use find the help that they need, as well as fight the negative stereotypes of former substance users.
“So... There’s been a slow come around to recovery. There's a lot of stigma involved with people who have dealt with substance abuse disorder or mental health issues; and so that's why we decided to found freedom for the basin," the Program Director Tony Surles said. "That way we can help educate the public about that stigma and let them know that people in recovery are not greasy dirtbags,”
Mayor Javier Joven showed up to show his and the city’s support.
He even made a proclamation saying that the month of September is recovery month in Odessa.
But the one thing that he wanted to stress most to anyone dealing with this in Odessa is that they’re not alone.
“The thing is if you’re aware of someone that’s dealing with addiction and needs help please reach out. Reach out to a friend, reach out to anyone that basically says hey this is what I'm going through, there’s support here; there’s no judgement. Please get the help. And this is one thing I want to be able to convey to our citizens is that you’re not alone,” the mayor proclaimed.
Freedom for the Basin plans on making this an annual event in Odessa. With the support of the community and the city, it seems like the Odessa Recovery Walk is here to stay.