CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — On Wednesday, Discover Recovery held its fifth meeting with members of the downtown Clarksburg faith community in an attempt to provide better outreach.

Discover Recovery is a nonprofit community organization through Healthy Harrison that focuses on aiding those battling addiction. During Wednesday’s meeting, associates of Discovery Recovery invited local members of the downtown Clarksburg faith community to discuss resources and opportunities available to better serve those battling addiction.

Typically Discover Recovery’s board meets on the third Wednesday of every month with board members consisting of social service providers, substance use prevention providers, healthcare members and consumers, which are those who have undergone recovery themselves.

In January, Discover Recovery became a recipient of the Benedum grant which allows funding to go toward strengthening the network of substance use prevention providers within Harrison County. Through this grant, Discover Recovery was able to host three outreach events for the community and plans to pursue even more in the future.

12 News spoke with Lou Ortenzio, executive director of the Clarksburg Mission, on why it was important to the organization to incorporate the faith community.

“It’s a commandment. We’re supposed to help our brothers and sisters, we’re supposed to care for the least of us. Sometimes we’re all the least, actually, in many ways. We have a responsibility to not just gather on Sundays for an hour but to go out in the community and show the love of Christ, to be the hands and feet of Christ,” said Ortenzio.

Ortenzio continued, “Clarksburg has suffered. I mean we’re coming back; Clarksburg is looking better but we still have a lot of poor people, we have a lot of folks that have mental health issues, and we have a lot of people who have addiction issues. It’s all because of trauma, it’s all because of adverse childhood experiences. When you see someone struggling you don’t say ‘What’s the addiction? What’s the problem?’ You say ‘what’s the pain? What’s the hurt?'”

The public is invited to join Discover Recovery meetings as they are held at the Clarksburg Baptist Church every third Wednesday of every month at noon.