BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The former Martin County Public Library building in Inez is set to become an addiction recovery aftercare center, supporting people transitioning from substance abuse treatment centers.
The library board agreed in a meeting Monday at the Collier Center to finalize a lease with Thrive Community Coalition in the next board meeting. Thrive will pay $1,500 monthly during the first two years. The rent will increase to $2,000 per month starting the third year.
Inez resident Eric Mills, founder of the nonprofit Thrive Community Coalition, said his organization would work with addiction treatment providers and other organizations in transitional services to fill the gaps and coordinate resources to help individuals succeed after they finish their treatment programs.
“I spent several years working with Addiction Recovery Care, and I saw firsthand what addiction looks like in our town, in our county, and what it looks like in this region,” Mills said. “We see the folks that all want to do better. I think we can all agree that we see folks who enter into rehab and really want to do better. They’ll try for a while. Many will go through and have tremendous success and come out the other side a brand-new person.”
Mills noted a support system is crucial to recovery. However, he added that too often, people finishing treatment in a residential setting will not even have a ride or anyone to pick them up.
“Sometimes their families have given up on them, and for good reason,” said Mills.
Thrive partners will work together to coordinate peer mentoring, life planning and skills development, access to housing and transportation, education, health services and screenings, and more.
“Thrive Community Coalition is looking to be those hands and feet of somebody who can walk with folks who have nobody else,” Mills remarked.
“This is going to be the rock, the resource and opportunity center.”
Mills mentioned his organization had secured grant funding to get started. In September 2023, the Appalachian Regional Commission announced an INSPIRE grant award of $500,000 to Thrive. In October 2023, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission had awarded a $376,000 grant to Thrive.
Before Thrive can occupy the building, the library must repair “two or three” of the seven HVAC units within the facility.
Library board chairman Maurice Mills stated, “That will be several thousand dollars.”
Inez Fire Department uses the facility to conduct training courses, and the middle school wrestlers use it for practices.
Eric Mills said he would ensure the fire department completes its training course uninterrupted.