At the regular meeting of the Swainsboro Exchange Club held on February 10, members welcomed guest speaker Patricia LaRose-Walthour, Community Outreach Coordinator at the Institute for Health Logistics-Analytics at Georgia Southern University.
LaRose-Walthour presented information about the Rural Opioid Harm-Reduction Project for Justice-Involved Individuals (ROHR). The initiative is supported by the Georgia Opioid Crisis State Abatement Trust and focuses on strengthening overdose prevention efforts in rural communities.
The ROHR program partners with rural first responders and confinement facilities to provide critical resources aimed at reducing opioid-related harm. Through the program, participating agencies may receive no-cost harm reduction supplies, including naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, and county-specific resource guides that connect individuals to treatment providers and community support services.
In addition, the project offers educational training focused on opioid awareness, overdose recognition, and proper response techniques. These efforts are designed to equip agencies and communities with the tools necessary to address the ongoing opioid crisis more effectively.
Exchange Club members expressed appreciation for the informative presentation and the important work being done to support rural communities across Georgia.
