HAVERHILL — Cafe seats filled quickly as friends, family and advocates connected in the fight against substance use disorder this week.
In a vibrant, high-ceiling room decorated with movie posters, board games and stories of second chances, Riverbend Merrimack Valley brought together community partners, staff members and law enforcement officials for the third annual Recovery Breakfast.
The event was held Thursday morning at the group’s Ray of Light Recovery Cafe on Washington Street, with nearly 100 people gathering to discuss the state’s opioid epidemic.
Attendees mingled for an hour of networking while Riverbend served a breakfast buffet of fruit salad and egg sandwiches. Familiar faces found a spot on sofa cushions and lunch tables to chat and snack before the speaking program began.
The event featured remarks from Riverbend Merrimack Valley CEO Michael Reinke and keynote speaker Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Representatives from Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office were also in attendance.
Reinke opened by recognizing the many figures in the room who have contributed to the organization’s efforts, including board members, community partners and Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce President Katie Cook.
He rolled through a list of everything Riverbend has to offer like its residential treatment programs, clinical support groups and recovery cafes. The CEO said Ryan’s work has saved thousands of lives in Massachusetts through overdose response and treatment initiatives she has established in her tenure.
“There are few people who have done more to support the issue of opioid overdose awareness and prevention and substance use disorder treatment in Massachusetts than our District Attorney Marian Ryan,” Reinke said while introducing her.
Ryan has led a “multipronged approach” to the opioid epidemic since 2013.
Her work has included helping launch three Middlesex hospital-based opioid task forces, bringing together representatives from law enforcement, healthcare, emergency medical services, social services, child welfare agencies, schools and government.
She began her remarks by reiterating the scope of her county that includes 54 cities and towns and 26 colleges — plenty of ground to cover in the road to recovery. There was a “giant uptick” in statewide opioid deaths beginning in 2012, Ryan said, and data shows that opioid overdose death rates from 2012 to 2015 had an average annual increase of 37%.
According to Ryan, her office’s efforts resulted in an 11.5% decline in fatal opioid overdoses in Middlesex County, while Lowell experienced a 21% decline in overdose deaths in 2017.
“Every number is somebody’s child, somebody’s parent, somebody’s sibling,” she said.
Ryan didn’t minimize the challenges of recovery efforts, but shared stories of people who sought help through programs in her region and improved their lives.
“Sometimes the effort doesn’t seem like it’s paying off, and it’s a long winding river,” she said. “But you really are changing the face of recovery in Massachusetts.”
The Ray of Light Recovery Cafe serves as a member-driven peer recovery support center aimed at helping Haverhill residents seeking healing and rehabilitation. It’s operated by Riverbend, a Lowell-based nonprofit organization focused on addiction treatment and recovery services.
Riverbend opened its first recovery cafe in Lowell in 2020.