Exhale the Week and Inhale the Weekend

from Wednesday Journal 020823

Rev. Dennis Bushkofsky,

“Ididn’t know what to expect from Jazz Prayer. It turned out to be what I didn’t know I needed – a respite from the hustle and bustle of my daily life. The peaceful atmosphere in a beautiful contemporary space with phenomenally talented musicians gave me the space to reflect on what’s important to me.” – Dyan

In its 9th season, Jazz Prayer is an evening of relaxation, meditation, and music. It is a welcoming environment to enjoy world-class jazz and let your week melt away. Held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oak Park, it is a spiritual experience, providing an introspective and relaxing end to the week—a place to reset before starting your weekend.

The musicians are from the talented UIC Jazz Faculty and are led by Michael Stryker, Director of Jazz Studies at UIC. Each performance includes 3-4 musicians and a vocalist to bring the chosen music to life. For each service, Dr. Stryker looks at song titles that might have some connection to the evening’s theme. He designs the program to integrate meditation, readings, and jazz music in a way that complements jazz's dynamic and improvisational nature. Each performance takes you on a journey through readings and music.

“It’s always my hope that each Jazz Prayer service brings people together, combining music and readings (whether from scripture or other sources) to create a spiritual community enveloped by music, and lifted up with life insights. We hope the environment brings a sense of community that you might find at a jazz club” – Dr. Stryker

The evening starts at 7:10, with refreshments and time to socialize, connect with new and old friends, and experience community with others seeking a similar restorative experience. The hour-long service starts at 7:30.

Join an upcoming gathering:

February 17, 2023: Re-Late – Restoring our relationships with others

April 21, 2023: Re-Create -Recreating

Everyone is invited to participate - Good Shepherd welcomes all people regardless of race, nationality, marital status, family composition, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status or physical ability. In embracing diversity, Good Shepherd seeks to bridge understanding among people, to live in the creative tension of differences, and to be a blessing to a community and a world where dialogue, understanding and collaboration among diverse people are needed. from page 1

Good Shepherd is located at 611 Randolph Street, Oak Park, IL. Visit www.goodshepherdlc.org for more information.

“There’s always under counting of deaths that have stigmas or overdoses,” said Oak Park Public Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder.

The 2022 overdose data provided by Oak Park epidemiologist Clarissa Najera suggests that adults struggle with opioids more than teenagers Opioid overdoses in Oak Park occurred most often to people within the age range of 45-65, accounting for 84 of the reported 151. There were also 52 overdoses in people aged between 18 and 44 with 14 overdoses in people aged over 65. Zero overdoses were reported from the age group of 5-17. Wednesday Journal awaits the number of opioid-related fatalities from the village’s health department.

NaloxBoxes contain such opioid overdose response tools as pre-packaged doses of naloxone, a medication used to rapidly reverse overdoses, and fentanyl test strips, which are used to identify the presence of the highly potent and addictive opioid in drugs. Naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse Chapple-McGruder doesn’t anticipate there will be any barriers to implementing the program. The village board will not have to vote to implement the program because the expense falls under the village manager’s spending authority. The village manager has the authority to make purchases of up to $25,000. Purchases surpassing that threshold require village board approval.

NaloxBoxes retail between $70 and $325. Staff is proposing purchasing seven NaloxBoxes, each containing five doses of naloxone, using funds given to the Village of Oak Park through the Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement, according to a memo sent Feb. 1 by Chapple-McGruder to the village board.

The village received $8,277.65 and $8,699.41 from the program in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and will continue to receive funds for the next 16 years.

The village may also get naxolone free from the state of Illinois, which provides the opioid antagonist gratis to certain qualifying communities. The memo states that the Oak Park Public Health Department expects to hear by mid-February if it will receive the medication from the state Village staff will be trained to administer naloxone, which is sprayed into the nasal cavity. The drug is also sold under the brand name of Narcan. The Oak Park health initiative would also include an education component to destigmatize opioid addiction and recovery, according to the memo.

“Families that are dealing with this tend to deal with it outside of the light of the community, but we really want to address stigma in this, and we want people to know that we should be able to help our neighbors no matter what their struggles are,” she told Wednesday Journal.

The education component extends beyond efforts to reduce stigma too. Participants in the community education sessions, which have not yet been scheduled, will also lear n how to spot an opioid overdose, how to use naloxone and recognize when extra doses are needed

The memo states that a Massachusetts study of layperson rescue of opioid overdoses using intranasal naloxone had a 98% success rate. That same, unnamed study, according to the memo, found that overdose education and NaloxBox distribution were associated with reductions in opioid overdose mortality rates

Putting NaloxBoxes in Oak Park comes at the recommendation of the Oak Park and River Forest Opioid Taskforce, a local coalition of 10 gover nmental and community-based organizations, including the Community Mental Health Board and Riveredge Hospital, according to the memo. The proposal is also in response to a motion put forth by Village Trustee Jim Taglia

If the initiative moves forward, the Village of Oak Park plans to acquire the seven NaloxBoxes by the end of the first quarter of 2023. The boxes will then be strategically placed throughout the community based on data from heat maps of overdose emergency calls to the police and fire departments and in locations recommended by the taskforce.

Proposed locations include Village Hall, the Public Works building, Chicago Transit Authority and Metra stations and public property along Austin Boulevard and North Avenue. The village is also planning to partner with other taxing bodies to put the kits in all three Oak Park Public Library branches, as well as in Maple Park and Scoville Park. Wednesday Journal has reached out to the library and the Park District of Oak Park for confirmation. The Township of Oak Park has confirmed its plans to train its staff in administering naxolone

“We always seek collaboration and it’s not always easy to get,” said Taglia. “Right off we have the collaboration of the township, the park district and the library in this one. It will hopefully assure the success of the program and make it a long-lasting program.” sp. & large private storage room, great N. OP location.

Deborah Wess | 708-212-1122 deborahsellsoakpark4u@gmail.com

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