by Jonathan Weaver
An estimated-half of the community residents that attended a town hall meeting last night about a local drug awareness group pledged to become members.
After 25 community residents donated and became members of a new RAID chapter in Parker City last night, Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi presented a check of $250 matching funds to RAID chairwoman Kim Palmer.
By the end of an informational meeting to kick off the presence of RAID in Parker City, more than two dozen community residents completed membership information and financially-committed themselves to the organization.
City Councilwoman Kim Palmer and her team of 10 volunteers will lead Parker’s chapter.
RAID Founder Jeff Held began with fewer members in Apollo, but Palmer said her group will not be overwhelmed by the new task.
“We have a passion – and I’m like a bulldog. Because we got to do something – we need those members,” Palmer said. “I don’t even call it a donation – what I call it is a commitment to wanting things to be done.”
With the 25 members, Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi also pledged $250.
Nearly 20 more from Clarion County also committed last night to create a chapter – which is to be led by Apollo RAID’s vice-chairman Pastor Scott Kifer once it is organized.
Pastor Kifer – who admitted to being a former teenage alcoholic and cocaine user – said residents who committed membership and funding to RAID will help the organization continue to access grant funds and spread drug awareness in community settings.
“Your partnership in Parker RAID is vital to beating the drug epidemic in Parker,” Pastor Kifer said. “Your police force cannot do it – your sheriff’s office cannot do it – your elected officials cannot do it. It’s going to take you and I working together.”
RAID Founder Jeff Held said the parent organization in Apollo started as a fluke – slowing growing upwards from about a dozen residents until mid-2015 when he created a group Facebook page.
“There’s a need here in Parker. I’m so glad people showed up (last night) – there are heroes in this room. There are heroes among us,” Held said. “It takes a community to fight this epidemic. 10 people across Pennsylvania die every day from a drug overdose.”
Palmer and her team members will meet this Sunday to organize RAID’s first meeting – which she hopes to be a Narcan training class.