Husband’s memorial to lift community

CAIRO — A local organization is taking a hands-on approach to helping struggling addicts and others in the community amid the opioid epidemic.

It Takes A Community, founded by Cairo resident Emmy LaRosa Owen in memory of her husband Bobby Owen, focuses on addiction and other community issues.

“The group as a whole is about addiction and recovery from anything in your life,” LaRosa said. “We’re all struggling with something, no matter what it is.”

The group’s latest project is to make two different types of care bags: The Ur Not Alone bag for families that lost a loved one and the Helping Hand bags for individuals who may be homeless, in transition or waiting for a bed, LaRosa said.

The bag for grieving families includes a hand-written card, tea, a candle, tissues, pamphlets on local services such as counseling and funeral homes and a book on grief. Additionally, the family will receive a home-cooked meal delivered to their door.

“Some people have family and they bring over a lot of food, but many don’t,” LaRosa said. “I know these are the things that helped me.” LaRosa’s husband died from an overdose last year.

“My husband was also a veteran,” LaRosa said as she described the stigma surrounding addiction. “What kind of drug would make you leave your own babies? People need to know that there’s help out there. Not just people who want to get them in trouble.”

Meals in Cairo are delivered by the Cairo Police Department, LaRosa said, while she and her family deliver meals and care bags to the rest of the county.

Funeral homes or police departments may notify LaRosa of a family in need, she said, or residents can reach out to the It Takes A Community Facebook page directly.

“The appreciation these families have is nothing but amazing, even in their despair,” LaRosa said.

The Helping Hand bags include a variety of hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, laundry detergent packets, a comb and deodorant, as well as a granola bar and water.

“There are a lot of people in need and a lot of people don’t have funds or family,” LaRosa said.

The services offered through It Takes A Community are 24/7, LaRosa said.

“We never close,” she said.

LaRosa is working to achieve nonprofit status for the organization, which will allow her to apply for grants. For now, LaRosa’s family runs the organization, and members of the community, including Richard’s Funeral Home, make donations, she said.

In addition to monetary donations, the group will have drop boxes for items at its monthly meetings, which are held the last Wednesday of each month at the 911 Dispatch Center in Cairo.

LaRosa has 10 pre-made Helping Hand bags and four Ur Not Alone bags, she said. An additional 10 Helping Hand bags are out with police to be used as necessary.

It Takes A Community started about 10 months ago, LaRosa said, and has received support from many organizations and individuals throughout the county including the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Cairo Police Department, Greene County District Attorney’s Office, Greene County Public Health Department, Greene County Mental Health Department, Greene County Legislature, Greene County Probation, Greene County Youth Services, Cairo Town Board, Mountaintop Cares, the Matt Herring Foundation, ORACLE Ulster County, Nar-Anon, Richard’s Funeral Home, Greene County Paramedics & EMS and the 911 Center.

It Takes A Community representatives were invited to speak to the Greene County Legislature in May. The organization updated members of U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado’s staff Tuesday afternoon on the state of the opioid crisis in Greene County.

In the future, LaRosa hopes to establish a staffed recovery home in the county, she said.

“It’s not something I’ll ever stop,” LaRosa said of her efforts. “There’s a great need for it.”