VFW Post 6249 joins War on Opiate Overdoses in Suffolk County

The first event in an informal coalition to achieve access to overdose first response will be this Thursday at the Rocky Point VFW Post 6249Rocky Point VFW Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point. Training starts at 7:00 PM sharp on Thursday, July 25, 2019 and only takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Anyone age 16 and older that resides in Suffolk or Nassau County can attend and obtain a free Narcan Rescue kit.

The events co-sponsors are the North Shore Community Association who's founder, Gary Pollakusky will give a short statement on why the organization was created; to quote, "The association began with a small group of community advocates who felt there was a void in their local civics organizations,” and “I want to identify programs, like the Given a Second Chance program developed locally four years ago, and keep the heroin crisis more consistent in curriculum and assemblies,” This joint effort is one of those.

The Rocky Point VFW has been on board with pushing community training too. This will be the 5th such event at the post this year, and, with their help, the same has occurred at neighboring posts. More are in the plans as calls continue from the area asking when the next one will be. Recently, a PTSD Awareness Car show took place for the VFW at the Jamesport Farm Brewery, who is also co-hosting an Overdose Awareness Car Show with this alliance to benefit the Community Action for Social Justice.

Coordinators of these events are Dianne and Peter Oleschuk, residents of Rocky Point over 12 years, that started the North Fork Cruisers Car Association 5 years ago with a theme of using classic car presentations as community entertainment and shows to raise funds for local causes. In 2017, the focus was put into PTSD Awareness and Overdose Awareness.

Both retired, they've made a sincere commitment to the region as certified trainers with CASJ, to offer as much training as possible to our area in a wider scope throughout Long Island. Training has been done at various car shows with many clubs and organizations throughout Long Island including for the Tanner Park car show last summer with the Long Island Needs a Drag Strip group's car show called Hot Rods not Heroin. They've trained in local restaurants and anywhere else that space has been made available. The Kiwanis Club of Franklin Square recently put up tents at their Summer street fair and over 50 were trained there and a repeat car show and Narcan training are scheduled for September 14, 2019.

In the final weeks before school was out for the summer, a concentration of 6 training classes by Dianne and Peter Oleschuk were held at the Rocky Point School District offered to Teachers, staff, school security and parents. They've been to Bellport Boy's and Girl's Club twice, the Centereach DAV and also a few of the senior groups meeting at the Rose Caracappa Center in Mt Sinai. Over 600 have been reached and the hopes are to saturate the area by placing these rescue kits in the hands of people that might be on location when an overdose happens.

If you have family members or friends that are using either prescribed opiate pain medications, or illegal opiates and want to join us in "Every Life Matters," please attend and share this event info with them too. Specific additional information is available for Veterans and families coping with PTSD specific to treatment with opiates is available too.

Thurs., July 25, 2019, 7 PM, Rocky Point VFW, Post 6249, 109 King Road, Rocky Point NY 11778