Take Back Our Town Organizers 'Proactive' In Communities Throughout Bedford County

Take Back Our Town of Bedford County was established in 2015 by several mothers who had been affected by the surge in drug use throughout the region.

Take Back Our Town founders – Brandy Claycomb, Tammy Comp, Melanie Dunn and Misti Dull – decided to be proactive in their communities in Bedford County and assert their rights to a drug-free community as well as offer fellowship to other people affected by the opioid epidemic.

“This is about taking back our communities from the drugs – although not readily visible we all hear about places that are plagued and our youth being affected by drugs,” Claycomb said.

The mission of Take Back Our Town was to create awareness and offer addicts and families affected by a loved one using drugs a safe place to talk and learn about community resources. This group of ladies aspired to set up meeting areas throughout Bedford County as public interest was increasing. The group created a Facebook Page to promote its cause and currently has more than 600 members.

According to Brandy Claycomb and Tammy and Mike Comp, “Facebook has provided a “safe-haven” where people can write, provide inspiration, educate and advise without feeling scrutinized.

Bedford County resident, Erik Whisker, who serves as an advisor to Take Back Our Town, expressed he is impressed with the success of the group.

“I commend these ladies for their diligence as they utilized a multitude of resources including Facebook to highlight and publicize their cause,” Whisker said.

Whisker, who has had a career encompassing law enforcement and human services, perceives this group as successful.

“I had the privilege of corresponding with these ladies over time and learned their efforts have been very productive – this is an alternative faith-driven, community approach to offer help,“ he said.

Bedford and surrounding counties have had continuous problems with illegal drugs, Whisker said. However, the support Take Back Our Town receives on Facebook has been excellent with the ultimate goal of diverting our youth-people from using and abusing drugs. As a supervisor working with Nulton Diagnostic and Treatment Center: Peerstar LLC, Whisker has seen how mental health and narcotics use exacerbate the drug problem in our communities.

Together, these ladies have seen the debilitating side-effects of drug use to include death. The mutual agreement has been that state and federal elected officials can write more laws adding to statutes for illegal acts with drug use; however, the concept remains that if one individual can be reformed from drug addiction than this serves as a powerful testimony.

“Our church had a skit about an overdose: it started before anyone walked into the church,” Claycomb said. “We had kids and adults ages 12 to 40. They gathered around outside trying to get those who came to the event to join them in ‘partying.’ When the event started the group came into the church laughing and talking about partying. One young man overdosed right in front of the crowd and 911 was called and arrived. The EMTs came to attend to the man who had died of an overdose and taken out in a body bag.”

“The group Take Back Our Town consists of many parents whom are concerned for their children as the illegal narcotic industry is deceitful,” Whisker said. “As a parent, I can relate to the concern about drug trafficking, drug use and drug abuse. This is a plague of evil that has no place in our communities.”

All together, the administration team of Take Back Our Town encourages the public to join its group on Facebook for information, updates and future meetings.

As of 2015, Pennsylvania was ranked fourth in the United States with an ever-increasing opioid crisis. In 2016, there were 2,235 opioid deaths in Pennsylvania. This comes to an estimated 18.5 deaths by opioid use per 100,000 population. To provide specifics, from 1999 to 2016, the opioid overdose deaths were among herion, synthetic opioids, and prescription opioids. In 1999, the margin was lower by a few hundred; however, by 2010, a pattern emerged with synthetic opioids where it began to spike in 2013. Between 2014 and 2016, the overdose death rate increased with heroin and prescription opioids (National Institute of Drug Abuse).

“It is imperative that we commend our wonderful federal, state and local law enforcement officer’s for the work they do to patrol, deter, investigate and arrest offender’s only to make our communities safer,” Whisker said. “Our law enforcement officers are special people and always deserve our gratitude.”