(Smith County Insider Press) Carthage, Tenn. – On Tuesday, November 17, Bridging the Gap held an appreciation dinner at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce. Bridging the Gap is a group of Christians with a heart to help Bridge The Gap between where people are and where they need to be. They offer spiritual support and various resources to help with all kinds of issues including addictions. The group consists of pastors of all denominations, county officials, and concerned citizens. One of the main focuses of the group is to help fight the drug problem in Smith County. Bridging the Gap is partnered with the Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition to assist people who are facing drug addiction with the resources they need to get clean, find a job, find transportation, and to live a normal life again.
Judge Michael Collins partners with Bridging the Gap to allow addicts a better way to fix their problems, other than jail time. At the dinner, Judge Collins spoke about how the Bridging the Gap group came to exist, and some of the many things it does to benefit Smith County. The current director of Bridging the Gap is Bernie Morris.
The guest speakers of the dinner were Steven Boyd and Tommie Lee Arnold.
Mr. Boyd is a native of Smith County and he spoke about how drug addiction affected his life. He told the audience that his sister had just recently passed away due to a drug overdose. He explained the hurt and worry caused by a family member being addicted to drugs.
Ms. Arnold is a Smith County citizen who has faced drug addiction first hand. She spoke about her personal experience with drug addiction and how it can affect you, your family, your friends, and your community. Ms. Arnold gave a testimony of how Bridging the Gap and the love of Jesus Christ saved her life.
If you would like more information about Bridging the Gap, they invite you to attend one of their meetings at the Historic Smith County Courthouse with lunch catered at 12:00 on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. If you would like more information about the Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition, click HERE to view their website. The Drug Prevention Coalition needs members who are willing to become a part of the solution. They meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce. They invite you to come to their December 9th meeting to hear a testimony of someone who had the “Courage to Change.”
