Escambia County and Waterfront Mission recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Waterfront’s newest LifeBuilder Recovery Program houses, representing a tangible commitment to addressing the local opioid crisis and providing safe, structured housing for individuals in recovery.
Escambia County awarded Waterfront Mission $338,878 in Opioid Abatement Funds to purchase the two homes, which will house up to eight men in Waterfront Mission’s LifeBuilder Recovery Program.
The funds were awarded by the Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board as part of a $50 billion settlement against opioid manufactures. These settlement funds will be distributed over the next 15 years to local municipalities to help combat the opioid crisis.
Waterfront’s new LifeBuilder Recovery Program houses will support the journey from crisis to recovery by offering a stable residential environment, coupled with access to peer-support and life-skills training while men transition to their own permanent residence. With the addition of these two homes, Waterfront now has capacity for 35 men in their six transition houses.
Visit waterfrontmission.org or MyEscambia.com for details.
DOH-Santa Rosa observes Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County recognizes January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, observed to highlight the importance of prevention, early detection, and education focused on cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer, cancer of the cervix, is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Each year in Florida, over 1,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Fortunately, cervical cancer is highly curable when found and treated early, even before symptoms appear.
A Pap test and human papillomavirus test may help prevent cervical cancer or detect it during early stages. The purpose of the Pap test is to detect abnormal cells in the cervix, and the HPV test looks for the human papillomavirus that can cause these cell changes. When abnormal cells are found and treated early, cervical cancer can be prevented or cured.
Women should talk to their health care provider to discuss when to begin cervical cancer screening and how often to be screened. The general screening recommendations follow:
Women ages 40-64 with low income or without health insurance may be eligible for free or low-cost screening through the Florida Department of Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Cervical cancer is often curable when detected and treated at an early stage.
To see if you qualify for these screenings, call 850-564-2262 or visit the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program webpage.
TheFlorida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Visit FloridaHealth.gov for details.
SRCDS hosts ‘Birth to Age Five: Help Me Thrive’ early childhood event
Santa Rosa County District Schools will host the second annual “Birth to Age Five: Help Me Thrive” early childhood event for families from 9 to 11:30 a.m. March 7 at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium, 4530 Spikes Way in Milton.
Last year, over 40 organizations participated in this event and there were nearly 500 in attendance. There will be information for families, free food, giveaways, and family fun. Families are encouraged to RSVP by March 3 for an additional entry for a giveaway prize.
If you or a local business/organization is interested in becoming a sponsor or having a table at this event, visit the website with the application and additional information at santarosaschools.org/page/birth-to-age-five. All applications are due by Feb. 20.
Organizers look forward to seeing many families from the community come out to this event to help all young children thrive as they prepare for kindergarten.
Email Nadia Colin at PIO@santarosa.k12.fl.us for details.
Take part: To make a Causes submission, email giving@pnj.com.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia, Waterfront Mission celebrate LifeBuilder Recovery homes
Reporting by Chemarryn Thornton, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
