Mayor Gary Christenson, City Councillors Craig Spadafora, Peg Crowe, Barbara Murphy and Jadeane Sica along with School Committee member Adam Weldai joined members of the Malden Cares Initiative, members of Malden Overcoming Addiction and the Opioid Task Force at the Malden MBTA Center to celebrate the recent announcement that the Malden Cares pilot will be funded for two years.
At last week’s Malden Overcomes Day at Lincoln Commons, Councillor Crowe announced that the Malden Cares collaboration between the City of Malden and Malden Overcoming Addiction will receive an additional two years of funding. The pilot program began in June and has been funded through September, however with the level of success the program has had and the positive impact in the community, it has been extended for two full years. Addiction Recovery Resource Specialist Paul Hammersley has been the driving force for the efforts.
Recovery Coaches currently engage the public at the Malden Center MBTA Station every Monday through Friday from 3:30-5:30 PM with a resource table, snacks, and water with the goal of providing outreach, education, and support. During months of November and April the program will be run out of a truck at the Malden MBTA station Monday through Friday from 3-6 PM. Food will be provided every Monday night and hand warmers and socks will be distributed daily. Individuals will be offered assistance with food insecurity, homelessness, recovery services, and support for substance use disorder.
From December through March, the program will operate out of the Malden Warming Center at the Church of the Nazarene, 529 Eastern Avenue from 7-9 PM seven nights a week. There will be up two recovery coaches on hand at each event. From May through October the “street team” will be back at the Malden MBTA Station.
The Malden Cares campaign emanated from discussions at a City of Malden Opioid Task Force meeting when the conversation shifted to outreach in the community. By being a presence at Malden Center, Malden Cares will support residents who struggle with homelessness and substance use disorder.
The program will be overseen by Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and Supervisor Dawna Aiello along with Paul Hammersley. The City of Malden Opioid Task Force membership includes Mayor Gary Christenson, Police Chief Kevin Molis, Fire Chief William Sullivan, Malden’s Recovery Resource Specialist Paul Hammersley, School Committee Member Adam Weldai, City Councilor Barbara Murphy, Data Specialist for the Malden Police David Ritchie, Malden Overcoming Addiction Board Member Dana Brown, and Gerry Whetstone, Pastor of the Nazarene Church of Malden and Director of the Malden Warming Center.
For more information on Malden Cares or Malden Overcoming Addiction please contact Malden’s Recovery Resource Specialist Paul Hammersley at 781-838-2203.