MONROE COUNTY, Michigan — The Oaks Of Righteousness Christian Ministries is known for making an impact on lives in Monroe County.
While the ministry helps people thrive through its pantry, shelter and drug rehabilitation facility, it also saves lives with its Narcan vending machine.
Narcan is a critical medicine that can be used to reverse a drug overdose, and the vending machine makes it available to everyone even if you do not think you will ever need it yourself.
"I've had to use it (Narcan) on others multiple times, and it's given people a chance to where if they come out of the overdose, before, you would overdose and you would die," Tara Bijarro, a certified peer recovery specialist, said. "And now, you have a chance to be able to seek that recovery and have a chance to change your life."
The church is a hub that serves the community in multiple ways, but most importantly, it tries to save lives.
"We get a lot of family members that just don't know how to help their family members and they'll grab this (Narcan)," Bijarro said.
Saving lives is at the crux of the ministry's mission, and the results are in the success of the Narcan vending machines. It serves a greater purpose.
Workers with Oaks of Righteousness said that access to Narcan has made saving a life more accessible than it was a couple of years ago. The access makes it possible to save a life quicker than ever.
"We've seen people get saved because of these Narcan vending machines here,"
Oaks of Righteousness worker Garry Moore said. "We saw lives saved within this couple of blocks radius."
There are two readily available Narcan vending machines in operation in Monroe County: one at Oaks of Righteousness and another at the Monroe County Jail.
According to the church's statistics, the Oaks of Righteousness Narcan vending machine has administered 197 Narcan kits in six months, saving an estimated 33 lives per month.
The Oaks of Righteousness Narcan vending machine is located at 924 E. 2nd St., Monroe, Michigan 48161.