Kentucky is in the grips of an addiction epidemic. Heroin. Meth. Cocaine. Alcohol. Prescription pain medications. The list goes on.

According to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, overdoses are on the rise. Overdose the last decade the number of overdose deaths in Kentucky has steadily risen to more than 1,000 annually.

For every person struggling with addiction, there is a subset of people suffering along with them. Families, friends and loved ones experience the negative was effects of substance abuse and addiction as well.

Addiction has also taken a toll on health care costs, social services, law enforcement, the economy and nearly every level in communities across the nation.

Clark County has been no exception.

But a pair of local women have proven they understand that battling addiction needs to be done at a community level.

After planning the Rally4Recovery the last two years, Amber Fields and JuaNita Everman decided to do more.

They started an independent, private nonprofit Recovery Community Organization.

Even the name, ART Center (for Achieving Recovery Together), points to the need for input from all areas of the community to aid in recovery.

Their new agency aims to fight the substance abuse issue, the root causes and the after effects by offering peer-based recovery support services, overdose intervention, a support hotline, recovery coaching and much more.

The ART Center will also focus on education and awareness.

The women know recovery well. Both have been in recovery for several years and help facilitate programming through a local Celebrate Recovery group. They are specially-equipped and offer a unique insight into the issue.

Further, the ladies are living proof that recovery is possible, and there is hope for those struggling. That’s something our community needs more of – hope.

The ART Center is a good start.