Newspaper Page Text
Highland Rivers
honors Veterans and is
here to help those
who served
By Melanie Dallas,CEO
Highland Rivers Health
At the end of September,
National Recovery Month,
Highland Rivers Health
hosted a special event for our
veterans. Called Operation
Gratitude, the virtual celebra
tion - held like so many
things these days on Zoom -
allowed veterans who receive
services from our agency to
interact, learn about our plans
for a veteran-focused recov
ery center, and have the com-
radery and support of others
who understand their unique
challenges and experiences.
While Operation Grati
tude featured many memo
rable moments, the highlight
of the event was the unvar
nished and honest personal
stories shared by two veter
ans who receive services
from Highland Rivers - of
their experiences in the mili
tary, in combat, of their lin
gering struggles and, most
compellingly, their journeys
to living in recovery. A video
of the event can be viewed on
the Facebook pages of High
land Rivers Health, the High
land Rivers Foundation and
the Department of Behav
ioral Health and Develop
mental Disabilities.
I want to thank, again, the
donors and sponsors that
made Operation Gratitude
possible: the Georgia Council
on Substance Abuse, High
land Rivers Foundation, For
ever We, Inc., Home Depot,
Cherokee County Sheriff’s
Office, and Extremely Clean
Floor Services, as well as the
hardworking Highland
Rivers staff that put this
event together.
I wanted to write about
Operation Gratitude not be
cause I believe Highland
Rivers deserves any special
recognition for such an event,
but rather because I think our
veterans deserve special
recognition - and Operation
Gratitude is one of the ways
our agency recognizes the
veterans that trust us to walk
beside them on their recovery
journey. As we recognize
Veterans Day November 11,
I want to reiterate Highland
Rivers’ commitment to en
suring veterans know we are
proud to serve them, and that
we have services specifically
tailored to their needs.
To begin, if you visit our
website or see any of our
print materials, the descrip
tion of our agency specifi
cally lists veterans as among
those we serve: children and
adolescents, adults, families
and veterans. We do this to
make sure veterans - and
those who might have a
loved one who is a veteran -
know they are always wel
come at Highland Rivers
Health.
As one of the largest com
munity service boards in
Georgia, we are also one of
the largest providers of be
havioral health services to
veterans in Georgia; we have
partnered with the Atlanta VA
Medical Center for many
years. We also partner with
the Cherokee Veterans Treat
ment Court to provide mental
health and substance use
treatment to veterans who are
charged with criminal of
fenses but are eligible for di
versionary treatment.
Highland Rivers has
worked to tailor our services
to the unique needs of veter
ans as well.
We provide a variety of
services specifically for vet
erans, including outpatient
counseling for PTSD (post-
traumatic stress disorder),
prolonged exposure and mil
itary sexual abuse. We also
offer PTSD and veteran peer
support groups, so veterans
can learn from others who
have had similar experiences
and can relate to their chal
lenges.
In addition, Highland
Rivers provides crisis inter
vention and stabilization, vet
eran-specific supportive
housing assistance, supported
employment, substance use
treatment and community
support services, among
other programs.
Finally, Highland Rivers
is proud to have as our Veter
ans Services Coordinator
Rick Twist. Rick is an Iraq
combat veteran who has ex
perienced homelessness,
combat trauma and lives in
recovery with PTSD and a
substance use disorder. He is
a certified peer specialist and
runs several of Highland
Rivers’ veterans groups.
When he says he understands
how veterans feel and the
challenges they face, it’s be
cause he knows firsthand. He
puts his heart into his work at
Highland Rivers - and our
agency and the veterans he
works with are better for it.
I want to thank all of
America’s veterans for their
work, their sacrifice and their
commitment; Highland
Rivers Health is proud to
serve you. Our doors are al
ways open to you as you fur
ther your recovery journey,
and know that, “we’ve got
your six.”
Melanie Dallas is a li
censed professional coun
selor and CEO of Highland
Rivers Health, which pro
vides treatment and recovery
services for individuals with
mental illness, substance use
disorders, and intellectual
and developmental disabili
ties in a 12-county region of
northwest Georgia that in
cludes Bartow’, Cherokee,
Floyd, Fannin, Gilmer, Gor
don, Haralson, Murray,
Paulding, Pickens, Polk and
Whitfield counties.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Farmers Market, part of proud
American business tradition
By Heather Giambra
Download our app today.
Just kidding. Just a sign
along the path to the market
reminds us that The Farmers
Market represents a basic
way of doing business. Our
vendors work hard to create
good foods, crafts, and pro
duce for you. Cash is king,
but Square Up is possible
with some vendors and pos
sibly some other current tech
nology to substitute currency.
Perhaps the vendors are bar
tering with each other? Jelly
for bread. Bread for eggs?
Eggs for earrings? It’s all part
of the fun at the market.
The red maples lined up in
the park like a parade. White
billowing clouds hugged the
mountain tops and blew eas
ily across the sky. It was
sunny and breezy with leaves
flitting by. And the tent tops
were busy, too, fluttering in
the air.
The previous week Un
done delivered the music for
our welcoming ears. This
time it was the humming of
the market that made the
music. Our local music talent
is always welcomed when
ever they come. Music has a
value that cannot be priced.
SG BBQ brought the fla
vors for your barbeque.
Grilling, smoking, roasting
will get a big flavor boost
from Nathan Montgomery’s
seasoned mbs in flavors like
Swelter, Grill ‘n’ Chips, and
Cafe Filet. He even has a
Keto friendly mb called Un-
ntley. Perhaps you can pair
up the seasonings with the
meats from Possum Trot
Farms, Sunny Side Farms, or
Southern Grass Meats?
Chef Tony Pisconeri sold
all his wonderful artisan
sourdough breads. He rarely
takes anything home again.
Roc-Ken Acres brought big
loaves of breads, jellies, gra
nola, and quail eggs! Tiny
speckled treats for the taste-
buds.
Many crafter’s tables were
full of creations including
Matthew Godfrey with his
creamy white candles. This is
a great time of year to light a
candle or two for gentle am
bience. The scented ones can
also enhance your surround
ings with good vibes.
The market is sponsored
by the Pickens County Mas
ter Gardeners. New hours, 9
a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Park n
Ride lot of Lee Newton Park,
will carry us through until
December 12th.
.■nuMt" 1
Nathan Montgomery at his booth selling seasoned mbs for your barbeque.
TATE MARKET PLACE
Join us for an evening filled with Holiday
Shopping, Treats, and drinks. The Tate
local shops have joined forces with local
vendors to create the perfect Holiday
Ladies night out. We will have Jewelry,
Bags, Clothes, Beauty products, Beauty
Bar Specials, Cosmetic Injectable Sales,
specialty women vendors, and of course
the most AMAZING door prizes! If you
would like to attend please RSVP by 11/18
LADIES NIGHT OUT
Cosmetic Injectables with Prestige Medspa’s
Nurse Practitoner Lottie Davenport will be
available by appointment only to book
please call (706)692-9761
CALL (706)692-9768 TO RSVP
^ Prestige
Sequoyah Chapter Daughters of the
American Revolution salute our Veterans
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890
and is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing
America's future through better education for children. Its members are descended
from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.
To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visitwww.DAR.org or for information
on becoming a member of your local chapter email: sequoyahchapterdar@gmail.com