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March 2023
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
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is room to grow. “We’re building our capacity to bring on even more in the future,” he said.
And for people working in the private sector like Venuti, helping the state promote such programs, the presentation of the state’s Recovery Friendly Workplace certification for the Town of Al- exandria last week was a move in the right direction.
She said that Recovery Friendly Workplace is a state- funded program that promotes the health, safety, and well-be- ing of employees by challenging the stigma around addiction and providing support to those who have been affected by substance use disorder. This includes those in recovery, those who are seeking help, and those who may be in- directly impacted due to a loved one with an addiction.
“You here in Alexandria are now leading the way for success in other towns,” Venuti said.
RECOVERY
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pleased to welcome the Town of Alexandria as one of more than 330 companies, organizations, and town employers that have joined them in their quest to help people not only maintain gainful employment but achieve positive support for both they and their loved ones in doing so.
“When in the depths of ad- diction, self-worth goes down,” Mara said. “If we can get people back to work, that improves and leads to a much better outcome.”
Jeanne Venuti, a Recovery Friendly Advisor from Granite United Way, was instrumental in bringing their Recovery Friendly Workplace designation to Alex- andria.
The process begins with a declaration from employers stat- ing they will support and provide assistance for any and all in their employment, including family members. Applicants also need to state what it means to provide this support and how they will communicate with their employ- ees regarding any methods which will prevent the stigmas that have long since stood in the way of those dealing with substance abuse, past or present.
Mara, a former police chief, said numbers so far show that in 2022 there were more than 473 fatal drug overdoses in New Hampshire, the highest ever since 2016. “It’s Fentanyl. It’s just in ev- erything,” Mara said.
Alexandria Police Chief David Suckling agreed, pointing out that that number also represents the population of Newfound Re- gional High School.
“To put it in perspective, just imagine that it’s like bombing the school,” he said. “Horrifying.”
With numbers like that in mind, Suckling and Officer John LeBlanc have been working hard to clear their community of these drug issues and, more impor-
Alexandria Police Officer John LeBlanc and Chief David Suckling presented Dave Mara, the Governor’s Advisor on Addiction and Be- havioral Health, and Eliza Zarka, the state’s Addiction, and Behavioral Health Coordinator, with a yellow bell like the one they ring whenever anyone meets with success, whether it be drug rehabilitation or any other struggles they face. “We’re just about success here in Alexan- dria,” the chief said. Photo by Donna Rhodes
one goes into recovery and has a successful outcome, we ring the bell,” said APD Administrative Assistant Becky Huntoon. Peo- ple from any part of the state are welcome to reach out to APD for assistance in finding the road to recovery. No explanations are needed, Chief Suckling said.
A lengthy discussion on the drug issues facing not only New Hampshire but the nation today followed Mara’s presentation from Governor Sununu. Taking part in it were Alexandria select- men George Tuthill, Bob Piehler, and Chet Caron, along with Nicki Shedd, the Restorative Jus- tice director for CADY.
As Alexandria now becomes a Recovery Friendly Workplace, they learned that the town now helps boost the number of em- ployees in the state-wide program to more than 80,000 people, making up over 10 percent of the state’s workforce. A great bit of progress in Mara’s eyes, but there
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tantly, help those dealing with substance abuse find the help they need to recover.
Venuti said it has been a plea- sure to work with the Alexandria Police Department on their mis- sion to protect their residents and even outside individuals dealing with substance abuse. Among the keynotes she brings to com- munities is encouraging youth to be involved in “protective factors” such as school activities, sports, and groups such as CADY (Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-Free Youth). “We want to help communities be proactive,” Venutti said.
Chief Suckling and Offi- cer John LeBlanc of APD have worked hard to not only prevent substance-related issues from their small town but also to help people suffering from addiction find the resources they need to overcome those problems. That’s the reason they presented select- men with the request to approve the town as a drug-free commu- nity in December of 2022 and applied for the Drug Friendly Workplace certification for the town. All three selectmen readily agreed.
In celebrating those who have reached out to them for assis- tance, the town now has a yellow
COOLING & HEATING
bell with a smile painted on it, which they ring whenever they find someone who has changed their life around, and last week they presented one of those bells to Mara and Zarka for their own office.
“Every time we find some-
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