Teddi Adams, left, poses in front of balloons and a banner at the 2022 Johnson County Recovery Fair. Adams created the Recovery Fair to provide resources and support for those dealing with substance use disorder issues. This year’s event is Saturday. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Even in the lowest moments, recovery is possible.
Substance use disorder continues to devastate families and communities in unprecedented ways. For those trapped in addiction’s grasp, and for the loved ones who surround them, breaking free can seem impossible.
But the annual Johnson County Recovery Fair is proof that help is there.
“Watching the different providers, the different members of the community come together to network and brainstorm, I think it really shows how much progress there’s been in this area,” said Teddi Adams, founder of the Recovery Fair.
Adams, who founded the event three years ago, is excited to see the impact it has had. The family-friendly event, planned for Saturday at the Franklin Recreation and Cultural Arts Center, aims to raise awareness about addiction, offer support to individuals and family members impacted by it, remove stigma about substance use disorder and provide resources from a wide variety of local organizations.
At the core of the event is a desire to showcase the role the community plays in recovery.
“We really have made so much progress here in Johnson County identifying resources and trying to get resources out there,” Adams said. ”But that stigma is still very much there. We very much need to educate that this can happen to anybody. It’s going to take a community to squash it, and to help people not only get sober and clean but to stay that way.”
Adams created the Recovery Fair in 2021 after addiction had thrown her own life into chaos. Her son, Trevor, had struggled with substance use disorder for decades after he was ensnared by meth and heroin. He found himself in and out of jails, prisons and rehab multiple times, Adams said.
Trevor’s life turned around when he was allowed by the courts to take part in the Wheeler Mission Hunt Training Center program — a long-term residential program offered for those struggling with addiction. The program, which is held at a 285-acre property near Bloomington. He gained stability after completing the program, has been working a full-time job, celebrated another sober-versary recently and became a father for the second time in February.
“He’s doing fabulous. I’m very proud of him,” Adams said.
Creating a resource fair centered around substance use disorder in Franklin was her son’s idea — a way to amass resources and information in one central place for individuals and families impacted by addiction.
The first year of the Recovery Fair featured organizations providing different types of treatment for substance use disorder, as well as groups that work with the kinds of issues triggering substance use: lack of housing, lack of employment, lack of insurance.
The response from the community was incredible, and the second year saw even more participation.
“It’s been amazing,” Adams said. “Both of the previous years, I’ve been in awe of the people who show up. It’s kind of a very informal, family-like setting. They want to be there, they want to help and they have that genuine spirit.”
Adams provided an anecdote from the 2023 Recovery Fair that illustrated just the kind of impact it can have. While she and other organizers were setting up, they were approached by a man asking what they were doing. She explained the idea behind the event and the goal of helping people with recovery from addiction.
The man started to cry, she said. He had come to the park with the intention of using drugs and was overcome with emotion in finding help.
“He just asked if he could sit with us for a while until people came. Here was this man, who was in the park to use, who stumbled across us. He stayed with us that day and we got him connected with some providers,” Adams said. “I don’t know his name, I don’t know the outcome, but it’s stuff like that that feels good.”
This year’s Recovery Fair will have information on all types of issues, as well as testimonies from people who are in recovery. Free food and activities for kids and families will be featured, and there will be giveaways throughout the day.
A wide range of service providers, focused on helping people maintain or obtain their sobriety, will be present to answer questions and pass out information on treatment options.
Presenters will lead the community in yoga and demonstrate reiki therapy as an approach to recovery.
“The more I dive into this, the more I realize every treatment is not for everybody,” Adams said. “To get a more extensive array of services and providers there, I’m really excited about that.”
IF YOU GO
Recovery Fair
What: A free family-friendly event bringing about awareness about addiction, connecting individuals and families with resources, information, community outlets and other pathways to recovery.
When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Franklin Cultural Arts and Recreation Center, 396 Branigin Blvd.
Who: The event is open to the public.
Information: Reach out to Teddi Adams at 317-340-9568 or via email at [email protected]
