Submitted photo Warren graduate Jahzara Hunter organized the Your Life Matters 5K, which was held Saturday at Betts Park in Warren.

Over 50 runners and walkers gathered at Betts Park on Saturday morning to participate in the first-ever Your Life Matters 5K Fun Run/Walk. This fundraiser was organized by recent WAHS graduate Jahzara Hunter and brings awareness to the issue of substance abuse and addiction within the community.

Substance abuse and addiction are not only a nationwide epidemic, but have also had a significant impact in Warren County. Over 48 million Americans, about 1 in 6 people age 12 and older, battle a substance abuse use disorder. Substance abuse and addiction put additional strain on local emergency and healthcare systems, increase the burden on law enforcement, and destabilize family units creating an overall negative impact on everyone’s wellbeing. Hunter recognized this challenge within the local community and decided to do something about it. She organized a 5K fun run/walk donating all the proceeds to the Your Life Matters program at the Warren County YMCA.

Your Life Matters is a local program that helps to provide resources and support to individuals in the community that are in recovery from substance abuse and addiction. The YLM program inspires a connection between long-term substance abuse recovery and the transition to an overall healthy lifestyle through physical fitness. Noah Synder, program director, focuses on discipline as a form of self-respect, healthy routines that replace chaos, connection instead of isolation, purpose through progress, and living recovery out loud — one workout, one conversation, one day at a time. Taking the leap to recovery from substance abuse and addiction can at times feel impossible and intimidating, especially if you feel like you are doing it alone. Snyder and his organization at the Warren County YMCA remind everyone that no one does recovery alone.

Hunter was overwhelmed by the turnout for this event and stated it would not have been possible without the support of local sponsors and participants. She was able to raise over $1,600 dollars for the Your Life Matters program and bring much-needed awareness to the challenge of substance abuse and addiction in our community.

In the words of anthropologist Brian Solis, “Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.”

Residents of Warren County are fortunate to have the Your Life Matters program and the Warren County YMCA to help our community do things together that make belonging matter. For additional information about the Your Life Matters program or to make a donation contact the Warren County YMCA.