Documentary Explores Family, Community Impact of Addiction Crisis

On Thursday, March 5, the Drug Free Montgomery County Leadership Team, in collaboration with Glory Girl Productions, will present a screening of the award-winning documentary, The Addict’s Wake, at Crawfordsville High School from at 5 p.m. This event is free and is open to adults, 18 years or older – no childcare available. To register, please visit https://theaddictswakemoco.eventbrite.com.

Following the screening, there will be a panel of local stakeholders and guest speakers that will last until 8:30 p.m. It will be able to answer questions as well as speak on initiatives, programs and services offered in the Montgomery County Community.

This event will be catered by Sunoco Midwest and will feature food items such as corndogs, soft pretzels with cheese, mini tenderloin sliders, chicken tenders, popcorn, dessert and drinks!

In the wake of the opioid crisis and the emergence of deadly fentanyl pouring into the United States, the impact of drug addiction rages on, destroying communities and families. This documentary film – The Addict’s Wake – focuses on the people of one small town of Indiana who, like those in so many communities across the nation, have felt the ripple effect of the addiction crisis in every corner of their county.

This documentary seeks to link communities to take action and find a pathway to hope and recovery.

“This film is a clarion call for community stakeholders to unite resources and ideologies to fight back against substance-use disorder at a grass roots level,” said film producer, Lisa Hall, presidents of Glory Girl Productions. “It takes you alongside a community searching for hope and solutions of the long journey from addiction to recovery.”

“While this film is set in the small community of Brown County, Indiana, it’s the story of almost every county – small, rural, large, urban and inner city – in the United States,” said Hall. “And this crisis hits every aspect of our society.”

This documentary shares interviews and perspectives not only from individuals and families impacted, but teachers, law enforcement, courts, neuroscience professionals and faith-based programs.

The Addict’s Wake has recently been selected to air on more than 300 public broadcasting stations throughout the country. It has earned acclaim with the Audience Choice Award at the Heartland International Film Festival, in addition to winning the Sedona International Film Festival’s Independent Spirit Award. The film has also spurred grant investment to create a shorter film that can be used in classrooms to help educate students and teachers about the impact of Substance Use Disorder, or SUD.

As always, many resources can be found on the Drug Free Montgomery County’s website at drugfreemoco.org. For further questions, reach out to Diamond Justus at diamond@mcysb.org. Drug Free Montgomery County is a program of the Youth Service Bureau. The YSB is a United Way in Montgomery County partner agency and is also supported by the Montgomery County Community Foundation.