Start Talking Grove City resuming fight against drug abuse

After an absence due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, a grassroots organization in Grove City is looking forward to being active again.

The group, Start Talking Grove City, is looking to put a dent in drug use within the city, using community outreach and promoting the use of available resources.

Start Talking Grove City was founded in 2019. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. According to its website, its aim is “decrease the illegal use of and addiction to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, thereby decreasing crime and improving the quality of life for individuals, families and businesses.”

Its volunteer base includes business owners and parents of children in the community, according to Marie Schiff, a Grove City optometrist and president of Start Talking Grove City’s seven-member board.

“We are a community, grassroots organization trying to make a difference in our community,” she said. “Our hope is to stop the stigma of talking about addiction and to stop blaming and shaming people for it.”

The board also consists of Brian Kitko as vice president, Julie Hartig as secretary and Todd Schiff as treasurer, along with Jill Dimel, Kert Lanam and Tani Mann.

The pandemic put a hold on scheduled events but the organization held a planning and informational meeting in November at the Amazing Grace Christian Church in Grove City. 

Schiff said while there aren’t any planned future events at the moment, those who follow the organization’s Facebook and Instagram pages will receive monthly updates.

“We welcome anyone to join us for meetings,” Schiff said. “We just had a school nurse join us for our last meeting.”

Upon launching, the organization has been invited to talk to local service clubs, boy scout troops and other youth and church groups.

One of the next steps for Start Talking Grove City is for the group to start collaborating with South-Western City Schools on drug-prevention programming, Schiff said, adding early discussions have been held with the district.

Lanam, who was a Grove City police officer for 30 years before retiring in 2018, said during his time on the force he saw opioid and heroin usage dominate the drug scene in Grove City.

Drug use isn’t just something that exists in a bubble, he said. It also leads to crimes, such as drug-related thefts.

“There’s such a crisis out there," he said. "We just felt like as community members and living there and having kids in the schools and stuff, we just felt like we had to do something and get the word out there and help somehow."

Outreach to children and teenagers doesn’t only play an important role in preventing drug and alcohol use, it’s a main component of Start Talking Grove City’s programming, Lanam said.

“I think our main goal is to talk to kids and parents and teenagers,” he said. “Our main goal has always been to go after the youth.”

Schiff said Start Talking Grove City is modeled after the state of Ohio’s Start Talking initiative, which also focuses on preventing drug abuse.

For more information, visit starttalkinggc.org.

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