New CDC data shows that 66 out of 100 Fatal Drug Overdoses in 2025 involved at least one potential opportunity for intervention. Most people who died had already crossed paths with someone or something that might have changed the outcome.
Those early experiences are highly impactful, often being linked to heart disease, depression, substance use, and lost opportunity decades later.
At 12 years old, a girl named Rebecca “Becca” started collecting prom dresses the day after prom and passing them on to classmates who couldn’t afford one. She was a cheerleader, an honor student, and a bright, fun-loving young woman who believed no one should have to miss a school event. After Becca died in a car accident in 2003, her family and friends kept her dream going. Today Becca’s Closet has chapters across the country, and one of them is right here at Hedgesville High.
Meet Tom Kearns, who serves as Project Coordinator of the Drug Free Communities WV Coalition at The Martinsburg Initiative and Director of the Jefferson-Berkeley Alliance (JBA). Across both roles, Tom provides the strategic leadership and hands-on coordination that keep prevention work moving in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
Our team of social workers shows up every day in schools and community settings, meeting people where they are and making a real difference in their lives. Much of that work happens quietly, so we asked a few team members to share, in their own words, what it looks like. Here’s what they had to say.
Health and safety officials across the country are warning about cychlorphine, a new synthetic opioid showing up in the illicit drug supply. Here is what our community needs to know.
School Support Specialist at Tuscarora Elementary School. TMI’s newest School Support Specialist on returning to the field she loves, supporting students at Tuscarora, and the big moments shaping her year.
TMI’s Community Support Specialist. A look at a year of showing up, stepping in, and helping wherever she’s needed.
