KENNEBUNK — The “A Community Call – Opioid Crisis Response” presentation will be conducted Aug. 8 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kennebunk.

Churches of the Kennebunks and the Kennebunk Police Department, in partnership with Portland Public Health, will offer an informational and training opportunity for local community members to understand the extent of the opioid crisis in Maine and develop a supportive response.

This program will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Storer Street, Kennebunk.

The first part of the evening, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., will feature a presentation by Kennebunk Police Chief Bob MacKenzie and Katie Rodrigues, local business owner who will share her long-term recovery experience. Following a refreshment break, there will be a medical response training by Portland Public Health for anyone interested, including how to administer naloxone (the drug which reverses the affects of opioids.)

This event is in response to the opioid epidemic sweeping across our country. Maine suffered 418 drug-induced deaths statewide in 2017, of which 82 deaths, or 20 percent of the statewide total, occurred in York County. Our goal is to work together to reduce addiction, save lives, and reduce the stigma attached to those struggling with substance use disorder.