SUSAN SHAW is the project administrator for Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto. “My skills,” she said, “are project management and bringing people together.” This is an apt — and modest — summation of her work with two outreach programs: DrugFree WilCo and Wilson Rides. The scope of these two entities is very different. What they have in common, though, is an effort to make the Lebanon area a more livable, humane place. 

DrugFree WilCo started when a woman entered Hutto’s office in 2018. Her 32-year-old son had died from a drug overdose. She made the strong case that Wilson County didn’t have enough resources to address the opioid crisis. 

“The mayor arranged a meeting with 20 to 25 people,” Shaw recalled. Out of that meeting, a grassroots coalition emerged to combat opioid misuse and overdose to educate people about the issues and find resources. That coalition became the nonprofit DrugFree Wilco, which has now been in existence for five years. 

The opioid epidemic is exactly that: a nationwide epidemic that, sadly enough, has not spared Wilson County. First and foremost, according to Shaw, there must be an effort to destigmatize who makes up the opioid crisis. Opioid addiction — like all addictions — is “hiding an emotional hurt,” and often, the user sees drugs as a solution or as a means of self-medication. There is also the crucial factor that “opioids were overprescribed for such a long time, which is part of the big problem. Once you get addicted to the opioids and your doctor actually stops prescribing them,” the need doesn’t disappear. And then the user will turn to the streets — with the potential to unwittingly consume fatal, fentanyl-laced substances. 

One of the things DrugFree WilCo has done over the years during its monthly meetings is to include a testimonial from somebody who’s been impacted — whether they were addicted, in recovery, or have a family member who’s been affected. For a person to tell their story for five to 10 minutes adds a lot in the way of understanding and compassion. If you understand, you can help direct people to resources and provide solutions. Those with an opioid dependency could be a relative, a neighbor, or a co-worker. 

Shaw is a great admirer of drug court, which is another assistance program that has been in existence for a while and is geared toward those who are incarcerated. The judge gives them an opportunity to receive help, but they have to do the work. This year, five people graduated. “Five people doesn’t sound like a lot,” Shaw said. But those are five salvaged lives and five chances at a future. 

There is also a focus on stopping the problem before it begins, which includes outreach to kids as young as grade school. One offshoot of DrugFree WilCo is the Youth Prevention Coalition (YPC), which was actually started by a teenager who came to DrugFree WilCo meetings and said, “We need this in the schools.” There’s nothing as valuable as peer-to-peer interaction, and YPC “has taken off, and it’s in many of our schools. It’s really good. It’s made an impact.” 

Wilson Rides also originated with Hutto. It had been noticed that more and more older adults were being admitted to emergency rooms and hospitals.  

They weren’t, as it turned out, going for regular doctors appointments or medical appointments that were scheduled because they couldn’t drive themselves. Some had nobody to turn to for help; others simply didn’t want to be a burden. 

Wilson County, by and large, lacks public transportation, and cab service can be prohibitively expensive. Wilson Rides is a volunteer ride service where the drivers are volunteers who drive their own cars. People over 55 can call and make an appointment. If they need a ride, they can have up to three destinations in one trip. The drivers get to know the riders, and they become friends. “Part of the mission of Wilson Rides,” Shaw said, “besides providing an affordable, safe transportation service, is providing a social connection. If you’re at home by yourself for a long time, everything starts to go downhill.” 

DrugFree WilCo and Wilson Rides have very different constituencies. But both are dedicated efforts to make the area a better place. “I am touched by all of this,” Shaw concluded. “And I love being part of it, where I can see the results of it.” And those results are many and expanding outward. GN