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Mecklenburg County is set to receive almost $75 million over the next 18 years to tackle the opioid crisis. To help people understand how those funds are being allocated, officials held a community meeting Monday on how they plan to spend $28.5 million of it through the 2028 fiscal year.
The county has allocated about $11 million towards housing programs and early intervention efforts to support people recovering from substance abuse. More than $1 million will go to employment-related services, and $730,000 will go towards Naloxone distribution. Marcus Boyd is a county program manager helping to oversee the funds.
"It’s all hands on deck. We’re here to make a change in the community,” Boyd said. "We want to make sure every single citizen has equitable access to care.”
In 2024, there were more than 270 overdose deaths in Mecklenburg County, according to county data. Monday’s event also featured breakout sessions on supporting youth and providing mental health support. The event also featured community members who spoke about the challenges they've faced. Sam Diminich was one of them.
Diminich owns Restaurant Constance and says he started to suffer from alcohol addiction as a teen, but was able to get sober in 2014 after a 30-year battle.
"Addiction and alcoholism doesn't discriminate,” Diminich said. "It doesn’t care who you are, what you do, and how much money you have in the bank account or where you live; it’s a fight.”
The county also plans to launch a post-overdose response team next month and a pilot program to provide peer support, a therapist, and medication to those in the city's detention center as part of their efforts to tackle the opioid crisis.
