WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The coronavirus has impacted communities in different ways, and it may have created new barriers for people already suffering from substance use disorders or mental illness.
"There's actually a saying that, 'The opposite of addiction isn't sobriety, the opposite of addiction is connection.' And so, for a lot of these kids, those connections were very abruptly severed," said Jenn Daley, Development Director of Bacon Street Youth and Family Services in Williamsburg.
The nonprofit serves people affected by substance abuse or mental health issues.
The organization is expecting a spike in cases after the crisis ends. "If you're a family who experiences this crisis and discovers that your son or daughter has been using drugs or alcohol, you don't necessarily know where to go or who to turn to," said Daley.
While the group's doors are temporarily closed, its work has not stopped. Staff members are holding counseling sessions via phone and telehealth, operating a drop-in day center and social work services by appointment, and moving events and prevention programs online.
"People who are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse need that connection in order to recover... from this really powerful thing that has a hold over them," said Daley.
The nonprofit needs your financial help to continue its critical work for young people in need and their families throughout the pandemic.
"We will absolutely provide our counseling, our prevention, our education services to them regardless of whether they can pay," said Daley. "The way that we can help them is by the community helping us."
For more information about Bacon Street Youth and Family Services, visit http://baconstreet.org. You can also check out the organization on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/baconstreetwilliamsburg/.
To donate to the group, visit http://baconstreet.org/donate/.
RELATED: MAKING A MARK: Local volunteer orchestra reaches spectators online during COVID-19 pandemic