Recover out loud: Hope Rally held at county courthouse

Oct. 18—Blake Vickers

Mike St. John is an animated speaker.

There was an improvised quality to the speech he gave on the footsteps of the Madison County Courthouse Sunday evening.

It concerned his road to recovery from substance use disorder. He and several others were gathered on a rainy Sunday to spread a message of hope to those struggling with substance use disorder.

Hosted by GracePoint Church, the Hope Rally was a gathering of community members to celebrate recovery and let the county know there is a way out. Despite the rain, a crowd turned out for the event.

In addition to St. John, speakers at the event included Judge Executive Reagan Taylor and Richmond Police Department (RPD) Sergeant Dan Kirstein.

For Kirstein, helping those struggling with addiction has become a passion he has taken beyond his work with the RPD. Alongside his wife India, Kirstein has been working on opening a restaurant called Enrich — a non-profit breakfast and brunch spot that employs the homeless, those in recovery, those with past felony convictions, and others deemed "too difficult to employ."

On Sunday, Kirstein gave an update on that process and noted he and India recently looked at a potential location downtown. He also gave a grave reminder that addiction is still a huge problem in the community.

"We have an opioid epidemic in this county... This police car that's sitting right here literally just came from an overdose. That happens several times a day. I administered Narcan as the supervisor last night before I went home. It happens so often. We have to take steps as a community to come together and show that reckless love for this community of people that are just lost," Kirstein said.

2021 saw a large spike in overdose deaths and the use of Narcan in the county. Coroner Jimmy Cornelison's office handled over 70 overdose deaths, while over 390 patients received Narcan.

Like Kirstein, Judge Executive Taylor also thinks the community needs to come together to help treat substance use. In his speech, he recalled the "never dance alone" philosophy of his father.

"We must be bold. We must be visionary, we must think outside of the box in how to invest money wisely and how to get a return on investment, instead of merely kicking the can down the road. It is important that we face the facts that by itself, government cannot solve the problem. As a community, we can. Unite with us, and be a part of the solution," Taylor said. "Be a partner. Participate in sharing God's love with others that are struggling with addiction."

Music was performed at the event between speakers.

Richmond Mayor Robert Blythe, Richmond Commissioner Krystin Arnold, and Richmond Commission candidate Matthew Vaughan were among those attending the event.

Mike St. John was the final speaker of the event. He shared his own story from his beginnings growing up in a "criminal home," to his first time using drugs, to his first day in recovery and everything that has since followed.

"My family is multi, multi, multi convicted felons. My dad just overdosed at 70 years old. My step dad is getting ready to go to jail and do 10 years. My little brother is out on federal probation right now. Only by the grace of God, that's not my story. I know God was watching over me the whole time, I just didn't realize it," St. John said.

He said that while he loves his family — he loves them from a distance. For years, St. John struggled with substance use.

In 2016, he ended up living with his mother and was on the verge of committing suicide when she caught him in the act. From there, his mother kicked him out of the house and he found himself at a homeless shelter in Lexington called the Hope Center.

"I was unhappy, I was miserable, and I was scared... I walked in this homeless shelter and I grabbed a mat and sat down... I didn't belong there. My decision making for this dope led me to being homeless," St. John said. "I pulled the sheet over my head and I cried. I said 'God, listen if you're real, I need help. Please help me, I'm willing to do whatever to get my life back.' I meant it. I slept maybe two or three hours that night and when I woke up the next morning I wasn't thinking about dope. I wasn't thinking about robbing nobody and I wasn't withdrawing."

He entered longterm treatment at the Hope Center and met his future wife Marie while they were both in recovery.

The couple have made it their mission to help others through recovery. They operate a transitional women's recovery center called Jasmines House in Richmond. The 16 bed facility offers medical, ILP, LP, case management, and peer support through Protea Behavioral Health. Mike St. John also runs a recovery program at the Madison County Detention Center and has a podcast on the subject.

"If I hadn't have told you my story, you would have never known who I used to be... I recover out loud to keep people from dying in silence. We're sick people trying to get well. I tried everything but God, and on June 1, 2016, God showed out for me," St. John said. "If you have a story, tell it. Because something in your sentence could change someone's heart."