The Brian O’Neill Jr Foundation has a simple mission: to empower individuals and their families to help prevent suicide in youth and young adults. For Lee O’Neill, the president of the foundation, this mission is personal.
Public Health
Pandemic in the Panhandle
Reidy observes that there is sometimes almost too much news coverage. “Every little new suggestion gets equal weight because it’s new — every drug that might work or something that might work. With new treatments, it takes time to find out what really does work — things like antibody testing and how long people are immune. It’s hard because we want answers now.
CEG Receives $500K Grant to Bolster HIV Fight in West Virginia
A new $500,000 grant will support CEG’s efforts to improve HIV prevention, testing, screening, and treatment in the state.
WVU Medicine Lands Facility in Shepherdstown
WVU Medicine plans to build a 10,700-square-foot medical office building (MOB) located on Route 45 west of downtown Shepherdstown near Sheetz, which will house two physician’s office suites—one for primary care and one for specialists.
Observer Contributor Co-Develops Memorial Site for Opioid Victims
If you or someone you love has lost someone to the opioid crisis, then it’s worth your while to check out “All Our Hearts”—an online memorial project developed in part by Observer contributor and Jefferson County native Lena Camilletti.
Wellness Center at WVU Medicine Celebrates 20 Years
The Wellness Center at WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center (2000 Foundation Way, Martinsburg) is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. Since opening its doors in the fall of 1999, it has doubled in size and expanded services to meet the needs of the community. The Center, located in the Dorothy A. McCormack Center on the Berkeley Medical […]
Substance-Use Disorder & Person-First Language: Why It Matters
How we perceive and treat people with substance-use disorder has a direct impact on access to treatment and long-term recovery for this community. The language we use to identify this disease is crucial in addressing solutions for people experiencing it.
A Deep-Dive Into Anger, Abuse, and Resurrection with Debut Author Timothy J. Hillegonds
A Chicago native, author Timothy J. Hillegonds stepped foot in Shepherdstown for the first time in 2012, and found himself smitten from the start. Seven years later, he readily calls Shepherdstown his second home, and by getting to know West Virginia’s oldest town as intimately as he has, he’s also become familiar with the Mountain State’s unfortunate connection to the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Shepherdstown Farmers Market Benefits Entire Community with SNAP Program
According to the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), the USDA partnered with them to provide eligible farmers markets and direct marketing farmers with the equipment necessary to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—formerly known as the Food Stamps Program.
Finally: A Comprehensive Program for Substance Abuse in the Panhandle
Mountaineer Recovery Center, targeted to open in September 2019, will be the first in the state of West Virginia to provide this level of treatment, according to someone’s needs all in one place.
Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center Expands and Evolves
The Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center (EPEC), which houses the only shelter for victims of violence in the area, has exponentially expanded its reach and impact over the years. Founded in 1977, it served less than 100 victims in its first year. Today it serves 1,400 victims annually.
Drug Take Back Day Gets an Upgrade in Shepherdstown
Across the U.S. every year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day lands in cities and towns with the goal of providing a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
WV Air National Guard Expands Student-Mentor Relationships in the Panhandle
Students in the Eastern Panhandle have recently gained exposure to uniformed soldiers in the hallways of their schools. The men and women of the West Virginia Air National Guard (WVANG) 167th Airlift Wing, the 130th Airlift Wing, and the Army National Guard have been diligently working to help combat the state’s opioid addiction crisis by offering various mentoring opportunities to elementary and middle school students.
Addiction Community Embraces Yet Another Advocate
Hundreds of voluntary recovery coaches throughout the state of West Virginia are helping those in need of services that are often nonexistent or hard to access. Greater Recovery and Community Empowerment (GRaCE), founded by president Rev. John Unger, taps into the “foundational aspect of instilling hope.”
Panhandle’s Newest Addiction Endeavor Secures Local Coordinator
Addiction does not discriminate. Bridging the divides in our polarized country is an essential way for people to work together to fight the opioid epidemic, which is what One America West Virginia is trying to do.