The Cambria County Drug Coalition’s new Faith Based Committee wants to share a message of faith, hope and recovery.

The committee is hosting a seminar for pastors, ministers and other church leaders from Johnstown to teach them how to counsel addicts and their families. They will also learn where to direct addicts looking for treatment and other recovery options.

“There’s a sense of hope, there’s a sense of security. When there’s no other answer sometimes, individuals who are linked to faith can open up doors we wouldn’t think about,” said Ronna Yablonski, the executive director of the Cambria County Drug Coalition.

Pastor J. Richard Horner is the chair of the Faith Based Committee. He said the church community is also impacted by the opioid epidemic and they want to help.

“We see it happening to our parishioners as well as to our neighbors,” said Pastor Horner of Conemaugh Grace Brethren Church.

The committee’s goal is for the trained church leaders to become on-call counselors for anyone struggling with addiction.

“Showing that people care. Addiction doesn’t have to be a stigma where we look down on people or families that go through it,” said Pastor Horner.

The HOPE for Johnstown seminar will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9am-3pm at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Johnstown. A facilitator from the Living Free Ministries of Chattanooga, Tennessee will teach the course.

You can register by contacting Emmanuel Baptist Church by phone: 814-266-4117 or by email: church@emmanuelbaptist.net. The training is open to anyone and costs $10.

For more information on training and resources offered through the Cambria County Drug Coalition’s Faith Based Committee, you can contact Pastor Horner by phone: 814-414-6604 or email: jrichardcon@gmail.com.