The Newtown Interfaith Council (NIC) welcomed the new executive director at Newtown Parent Connection, Nicole Hampton, to its April 8 meeting.

After relocating the meeting to Blue Colony Diner, NIC members listened intently to Hampton as she informed them about Newtown Parent Connection’s efforts to raise awareness about substance use, address the importance of mental health, and create a compassionate and supportive community for residents, especially families in crisis.

She first told everyone that Newtown was recently recognized as a Recovery-Friendly Community, an initiative that not only supports people in recovery, but also reduces stigma and raises awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.

As part of recovery in the community, Hampton said she wanted to make sure local clergy members had the right contacts and resources to stay connected to recovery efforts. Hampton is working alongside local key figures such as Newtown Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold and Newtown Parent Connection Founder Dorrie Carolan, as well as Newtown Prevention Partnership and Newtown’s Recovery Champions, for the Recovery-Friendly Community initiative.

Newtown Congregational Church Lead Pastor Matt Crebbin mentioned they used to have a clergy person involved with Newtown Prevention Partnership, a community organization dedicated to locally reduce substance abuse among youth. However, Crebbin said that hadn’t been the case for awhile.

“So we might want one of our representatives there if possible,” Crebbin said. “It would be good to have a faith leader on that prevention council.”

Dr John Woodall asked Hampton what a clergy representative could do, to which she said their goal is to have someone from different sectors provide support to as many kinds of people as possible.

“We’d have a parent, a community provider, treatment provider, clergy, fire department, and so on,” Hampton said.

Crebbin said having different local groups work together helps create a free flow of information.

“In theory, you can have different segments of people to strategize and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on? How does this line up with what we know?’” he added.

To that end, Crebbin said the representative would be able to report to NIC after a meeting and inform the council about important endeavors within the community.

Hampton noted Parent Connection has three weekly Hope & Support groups that provide support, guidance, and resources for parents and caregivers of loved ones struggling with substance use and addition. These are drop-in meetings that are facilitated by a licensed therapist, and are located in Milford and Middlebury in addition to Newtown.

Newtown Parent Connection also has a monthly Bereavement group, a compassionate venue for those who have lost a child or loved one due to substance abuse or catastrophic circumstances. More information about these groups can be found at ctparentconnection.org/supportgroups and in this newspaper's weekly Support Groups listings.

Hampton also talked about House of Harrison, a local boutique that provides clothing, shoes, jewelry, and resumé guidance to individuals transitioning from treatment, sober living, and group homes. When asked by NIC members what House of Harrison might need, Hampton gave the name of the woman the council could contact out how to best support that project.

As for what NIC could do moving forward, Woodall suggested they could prioritize preventative endeavors to combat substance abuse. While he had a vague idea of prevention through spirituality, Woodall asked Hampton what the interfaith community could provide. Hampton said they could educate families on how they are available for support and can work directly with families as their loved ones go through recovery.

In an email sent out later that same day, Hampton expressed how happy she was to connect with the NIC through their shared commitment to their community.

“We want every family to know they don’t have to face addiction alone,” Hampton added. “Help is available, hope is real, and recovery is possible.”

For more information about Newtown Parent Connection, visit ctparentconnection.org. For more information about the Newtown Prevention Partnership, visit newtownprevention.com.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.