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Ravenswood neighborhood addressing ‘big time’ heroin issue

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The heroin issue in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Ravenswood is no secret to those who live there.

“I know that it exists big time in the main part of Ravenswood,” resident Melanie Dean said.

“They all have the same problem and that’s addiction, and this is the severest addiction I’ve seen in my years of being on this earth,” resident Jeff Earl said.

On Saturday, about 70 neighbors walked the streets, trying to reach those involved with the drug cycle.

“When we got to a house that we know where there is a drug dealer, we asked them either to stop dealing or to move away,” neighborhood association president Hal Hames said.

In those efforts, they found people who actually came forward and asked for help.

“We had three individuals who stepped up and said they wanted to get off of heroin, so we facilitated them to get into a detox program,” Hames said.

At Monday’s neighborhood meeting, the drug issue was brought up and a couple people with connections to resources presented, such as the organization Hope and Overcoming and the Substance Abuse Ministry.

“I never was worried or concerned about it before and then about five years ago my daughter started doing it off and on,” Earl said.

Earl has a personal connection to the growing problem.

“My daughter passed away from an overdose,” he said.

He wants more communities to do walks and to reach out to help those who need it.

“So that we can understand how to get these people help who are coming forward and saying we need help, we can’t quit,” he said.

There is another community meeting about this issue at the Glendale Christian Church on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

There is also a community meeting Tuesday at the St. Joan of Arc Church at 6:30 p.m.

The Substance Abuse Ministry has an anonymous 24-hour email help service at SAM@sjoa.org.

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