MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County community came together on August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day, to remember those it has lost to substance use disorders.

Over 100 people gathered on the steps of the Monticello courthouse to hear speakers and to hold a candlelight vigil. Programs such as Hope not Handcuffs, the Kingfisher Project, Sullivan 180 and Catholic Charities had booths with information and with support.

Those who spoke offered somber statistics about the prevalence of opioid use in Sullivan County and nationwide. Mobilemedic EMS founder Albee Bockman said that Mobilemedic responded to over 30 overdose calls per month. Sullivan County Coroner Alan Kesten said that Sullivan County had seen 43 overdose deaths in 2021, and 34 to date in 2022.

There were also reasons to hope: those in the crowd waved flags emblazoned with the length of their sobriety, a living testament to the power of recovery.

“It’s because of so many people that I see out here tonight, working hard, working together, government, nonprofit, for-profit, there is absolutely reason to hope,” said Sullivan County health and human services commissioner John Liddle. “We are getting better, we are getting stronger [and] we are doing it together.”