Rotary clubs harness international connections to tackle U.S. opioid crisis
By Ryan Hyland
New York Rotary members used support from international partners to help them fight a major U.S. problem: opioid addiction.
After attending a wrenching funeral for a young man who died from an opioid overdose, Lana K. Rouff, a member of the Rotary Club of Binghamton, New York, USA, knew she had to do something.
“It was awful,” says Rouff. “I was so shaken by the shock and sadness at the funeral. The experience really stuck with me but also sparked me to do something.”
Rouff immediately talked with her fellow members, as well as other local clubs, about how they could alleviate the crisis in their communities in central and southern New York.
After months of doing research and consulting with health officials, substance abuse experts, educators, and media professionals, they had a plan: a Rotary Foundation global grant project, totalling more than $107,000.
The project’s initiatives would support those directly affected by the epidemic, educate communities about preventing and treating opioid addiction, and prevent drug abuse among local young people by training them in leadership skills and healthy decision making.
But they still needed one more thing to meet The Rotary Foundation’s requirements and secure the funding — international partners.
Rouff again turned to Rotary's 1.2 million members in 35,000 clubs around the world. She found the support they needed.
To find out where she found support, click here.
