ELYRIA, Ohio — Lorain County law enforcement, service providers and others are teaming up to knock down barriers to addiction recovery. Thursday and Friday, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is hosting the county’s first resource fair for people with substance use disorder and their loved ones.
Many of the advocates involved with the event believe their efforts will provide hope and save lives.
“Recovery is a beautiful thing,” said Deltrin Kimbro, an emergency projects coordinator and peer recovery supporter of Let’s Get Real.
The Lorain-based organization taking part in the Operation Bridge event provides recovery support to people struggling with substance use disorder. Most of the staff, like Kimbro, are in long-term recovery themselves or have been touched by addiction.
“I think that the people that have lost the most have the most to give. In my time of loss—from losing my freedom, losing loved ones, it kind of motivated me,” Kimbro said.
The Amherst native said five of his family members have died from accidental overdoses in recent years. He acknowledges his own road to recovery was challenging.
“I started off by selling drugs. And as a result of a serious automobile accident, I think that’s when my substance use disorder kind of took off. And I kind of self-medicated and didn’t have the resources that I needed at the time,” Kimbro said.
He’s now made it his mission to provide resources to others who need them.
“My motto is - I used to sell dope, but today I’m providing hope,” he laughed.
Let’s Get Real will be one of more than a dozen different organizations and agencies volunteering their time and resources for the Operation Bridge “Knock Down the Barriers to Recovery” event.
“We’re trying to have any type of service there that can help lift someone up and give them a better chance at recovery. We’re hoping to have those services there,” said Major Richard Bosley, the director of the Lorain County Drug Task Force.
He said the event, which will be held on the western end of the Elyria Walmart parking lot, will not only feature life-saving naloxone kits and connection to recovery services. It will also offer job, housing, legal and education services.
Bosley explained many people struggling with addiction may also struggle to secure employment or housing, finish their educational journey or have the means to obtain official documents like an ID or birth certificate.
“What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to give them a hand up to help pull them out of the trap that they’re in,” he said.
In recent years, fatal overdoses in Lorain County have been trending down.
According to Lorain County Public Health, overdose deaths have dropped 15% from 2020 to 2023.
The following information is from the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics:
- 2020 - 140 deaths
- 2021 - 144 deaths
- 2022 - 126 deaths
- 2023 - 119 deaths
So far, in 2024, the downward trend is continuing. But advocates say any life lost to addiction or accidental overdose is too many.
Kimbro believes recovery is possible for anyone, especially with the right resources and support. He encourages anyone struggling with substance use disorder or their loved ones to reach out for help.
“It’s hard in the beginning, it’s messy in the middle, but it’s gorgeous in the end,” he said.
The Operation Bridge Event is happening in the Elyria Walmart parking lot at 1000 Chestnut Commons Drive from 12-8 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. Anyone and everyone is welcome.
