Somerset County rocks opioid awareness

The kindness rock craze hit Delmarva this summer and continues to get people out of the house and talking to each other about the latest painted rocks they've picked up. 

There's even a special rock garden on Salisbury's Downtown Plaza near Division Street. 

When Crisfield residents caught the fever, members of the Somerset County Opioid United Team, saw an opportunity to use the phenomenon to raise awareness about a more sobering issue: the drug crisis.

The Lower Shore saw a total of 19 overdose deaths in 2007 involving  opioids, according to Maryland Department of Health data. Of those, nearly 70 percent involved prescription opioids. 

"When we saw how Crisfield residents were heavy into rock painting, we saw a way to get people talking about the problem and more involved in finding solutions," said Yvette Cross, director of the county Emergency Services Department. 

"I don't think everyone realizes opioid addiction is not just a national problem, but a local one." 

So they began to paint opioid awareness messages on rocks. Most are simple words of encouragement: "Start your recovery," "Hugs not drugs" and "Love."

The rocks are placed at banks, post offices, pharmacies, the city dock in Crisfield and  just about anywhere else where people congregate or visit. The program kicked off just a couple of weeks ago.

"We put them out in the community daily," said Cross. "We are encouraging residents not just in Crisfield, but Deal Island and Princess Anne, to pick them up and turn it in to their local police department in exchange for an opioid awareness T-shirt."

Eight-year-old Holden Milliner found a rock on a mailbox while walking in Crisfield on Friday, Oct. 20, with his aunt, Jamie Brittingham. They plan to exchange the rock for a T-shirt.

"The main objective," said Cross, "is to get people talking, parents to children and family members to each other."

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Crystal Swift of Crisfield knows how bad it can be.

"I found three rocks, turned in one and got a shirt," she said. "This is a mess these people are getting hooked on. My nephew is in jail over opioids, and our small town is overwhelmed. My stepbrother OD'd on it and it took six doses of Narcan to bring him back."

Cross said the agencies are involved with the SCOUT team. 

Rita Parkinson of Crisfield found one of two opioid awareness rocks at the beach in Crisfield recently, and a second at the ATM.

"Crisfield is a great place to live. I just wish they could get help for the drug users, and give them more options for help," said Parkinson.

Cross said the county hopes the rocks and the messages they carry will help connect more people battling addiction with available resources. They are also asking people who have lost a family member to addiction to consider recording a public service announcement telling their story. The PSAs would be posted on the agency's Facebook page and other social media. 

Sara Wilkes, 25, of Salisbury has painted one rock with an addiction awareness message and placed it in the window of the business where her father works, Grant's Service Center, in exchange for a different rock she had found there. 

She was unaware of the Somerset County project. 

"I got my chemical dependency counseling degree in 2014 from Wor-Wic Community College," she said. "I will graduate in December from Salisbury University with a psychology degree and plan to pursue a master's in social work from SU."

Wilkes plans to pursue a master's in social work from SU. She's interested in a career in the mental health and addictions field. 

Her rock had origins in the kindness rock movement. Wilkes said one day her 2-year-old niece and Wilkes' mother were painting rocks together, and her niece painted one rock plain purple. 

"I added the awareness message myself," Wilkes said. The rock carries the message "Just For Today" and also has an awareness ribbon on it. 

"I'm hoping someone will find it and maybe it will spark some conversation," Wilkes said. "I think it could open the door to kids and parents talking about drugs, or promote caring and acceptance for addicts in recovery."