Local ministry highlighted in book about overdose epidemic

A local ministry that serves those who are struggling with addiction is featured prominently in a recently-released book about the overdose crisis.

Olive Branch Ministry, which offers syringes, fentanyl test strips, an overdose reversal drug, and other supplies to help those addicted to drugs, was part of a book by author Beth Macy titled "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis."

Macy will speak 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at Gaston College in Dallas.

Michelle Mathis, one of the founders of Olive Branch Ministry, said that the title of the book came from a sermon she preaches, "which is basically a call to action, using the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead."

"Everybody has a role to play in that story, if they're willing. And (it's) the same way with harm reduction and addressing the needs of the community when it comes to the overdose crisis. We all can play a role," she said. "They look different depending on what our talents are, but there's no excuse to not take some sort of action."

Macy's book highlights people "who are on the ground doing the work of working directly with people who use substances and who are fighting against the damage done by Sackler family and Purdue Pharma," she said, referring to the family who, through their company, Purdue Pharma, has profited enormously from the pain pills that led many to become addicted to opiates and die.

Mathis said that Macy heard her speak at a conference in Virginia, and they connected, "and then I invited her to come to a meeting with me in Surry County, "where we were meeting with faith leaders to talk about how the faith community could address the overdose crisis in Surry County."

At that meeting, which is detailed in Macy's book, a Kiwanis Club president said that when people relapse into addiction, they should be allowed to die so that their organs could be harvested.

"And the room went completely silent. I thought I was going to vomit. I was in shock. And I was horrified and grieved all at the same time," Mathis said. "And someone at the table who worked, actually, for Partners Behavioral Health, leaned over and he said, "That was important. We need to know where people in this room stand.'"

"And that was the only way I could get through with it. Because I knew immediately this room who I thought we would find allies in was full of undercover enemies to the cause," Mathis said.

The meeting cemented Mathis' partnership with Macy. It also made her consider what Olive Branch was doing in the counties it covers to address discrimination and stigma, as well as the overdose crisis.

"And so over a period of I guess two and a half years, (Macy) got to know us. She went out on syringe service runs, attended a Hep-C testing party that we did at someone's house, where we brought pizza and did Hep-C testing," she said. "She went out with our nurse practitioner. She's really just gotten to know Olive Branch from the inside out."

Olive Branch has experienced growth over the course of the last several months.

They've moved to the back of the building that houses Phoenix Counseling, which allows people to have easier access to their services.

"And a lot more requests for Naloxone because of the increase in the amount of fentanyl and fentanyl overdoses that we're seeing," Mathis said.

They've also, along with Partners Behavioral Health, started a program in the Gaston County Jail to help educate people about opioid use and overdoses. People who take the classes receive contact information for Olive Branch, and Olive Branch staff connects with them when they get out of jail.

"And we follow up with them to make sure that they have access to Naloxone and then link them to community services as appropriate," Mathis said, referring to the anti-overdose drug.

The recent national spotlight on Olive Branch, an organization that likes to operate discreetly in the communities it serves, has been challenging, Mathis said.

Mathis was interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air, and an excerpt from Macy's book featuring Olive Branch appeared in the New York Times. Mathis has since then received calls from all over the country.

"We began to get responses from around the country. And we have yet to have a negative response, which is great. I was braced for that," she said. "We also have received emails from individuals in other states who say, 'spouse and I have been in an addiction for 30 years. If we can find our way to North Carolina. Can you help cure us?' Wow. And you don't want to be the next person to tell someone no when they're seeking help."

Ultimately, Mathis said, what she wants people to understand is that the larger story isn't about Olive Branch.

"This is about something so much bigger than what we are. I think that this work is not about me. It's about being willing to be available, really, for the work," she said. "And I guess that's the biggest focus that I want to see, as people featured in Raising Lazarus are so creative in the way they make themselves available to the communities that they're in and to the cause of fighting this overdose crisis, and keeping people alive."

"And that's ultimately what it's about," she added. "In the story of Lazarus, you know, we each have a role to play. We just have to find out what that is."

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Raising Lazarus author to speak in Gaston County.