Group Combating Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Masterpiece Ministries of Arkansas held a meeting at the Mount Ida Mayor’s Office Tuesday night at 6 PM to discuss an up coming event to promote the new treatment center they are creating in Montgomery County.  At the meeting they discussed holding a rally on May 2nd at a local church which could accommodate approximately two hundred and fifty people.

Brent Furr, local pastor and current President of Masterpiece Ministries of Arkansas said, “We want the whole community involved, businesses, churches and concerned citizens.  If we are going to tackle drug and alcohol addiction in Western Arkansas, the whole community must get involved.  We are facing our own epidemic right here in our state and people are dying, families are affected and there is no answer to this silent problem.  It is imperative that we come together as a community and address this issue.”

The group cited a recent report by Millennium Health that showed Arkansas ranks Number One in Methamphetamine usage and another report by the National Institute which reported that as of 2017 there are 15.5 overdose related deaths in Arkansas per 100,000.  Millennium Health did an in-depth report on the West South-Central United States which includes Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and discovered that methamphetamine use increased 468% and heroin use increase 834% between 2015 and 2019.  Furr said “These numbers are shocking, and we are seeing the impact right here in our own community that is why we have to do something.”

Masterpiece Ministries said that from Hot Springs to Oklahoma there are no treatment facilities set up to handle the problem, in fact there are no facilities from Fort Smith to Texarkana that are in operation and do what they plan on doing.  Masterpiece Ministries is a faith based long term women’s treatment center, but the plans are to build a men’s treatment center after the women’s center has been up and operating for a while.

What the group wants the public to know is that they are a non-profit Christian organization, they will be entirely supported by the community and will accept no government funds.  Tuesday night the group voted to hold the banquet rally on Saturday May 2nd at the Ouachita Baptist Church on Highway 270 East, Mount Ida.  The purpose of the event is to raise funds for the new facility and to educate the public that there is an answer to the drug epidemic.

At the rally, Dr. Larry Pillow, founder of We Can Ministries will be there along with numerous women who have recovered from alcohol and drug addiction.  Dr. Pillow founded We Can Ministries, a faith-based recovery program about ten years ago and has opened a dozen centers for both men and women since then.  Masterpiece Ministries is partnering with Dr. Pillow to get their facilities started here in Western Arkansas.

Brent Furr said, “There is hardly a family in Montgomery or Polk County that has not been adversely affected by either drug or alcohol addiction.  It is hurting our businesses, our schools, churches and families but it is our children that are hurt the most.  We are going to lose the next generation if we don’t do something now.  One thing for sure if our community doesn’t take action, it will only get worse.  That is why we are doing this; we simply can not go on looking the other way or hoping someone else will do it.  We have to and that means all of us.”

Tickets are selling for $25 and sponsorship from businesses, individuals and churches are welcomed.  For more information about the event or how to get involved contact Monica Bridges at 870-490-0630, or Brent Furr at 870-681-1945, or write to Masterpiece Ministries PO BOX 1546, Mount Ida, Arkansas.  More information is available on their website which is Masterpieceministriesar.org.

The group also wanted the public to know that they can help men or women now who are seeking recovery and if someone is in need they should call and Masterpiece Ministries will help them find a facility for them to recover.

Contact for press release: Al Martin 479-216-8302

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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