A free four-week series on overdose prevention and Narcan training begins Monday, Sept. 14, at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound.

The series, called "Mondays on a Mission," runs each Monday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. through Oct. 5 in Room 292 at the church, 6101 Morriss Road. The Highland Village Business Association listed the series on its events calendar, and the Flower Mound nonprofit Winning The Fight is promoting and helping present the sessions.

The series recognizes September as Recovery Month. Each week covers a different topic:

  • Sept. 14: Overdose 101: Know the Facts
  • Sept. 21: How to Use Narcan: Hands-On Demo
  • Sept. 28: Breaking Stigma: Community Panel Night
  • Oct. 5: Parent & Youth Talk: Tools to Start the Conversation

All sessions are free and open to parents, educators and anyone who wants to learn, according to a Winning The Fight Facebook post promoting the events. No registration requirement was listed in either the HVBA calendar or the Facebook post.

Winning The Fight was founded by the late Kathy O'Keefe after she lost her son Brett to a drug overdose in 2010. Current president Kathy Travis lost her daughter Jessica to an accidental overdose in January 2021. Executive Director Paige Furin, who struggled with addiction earlier in life, now leads the organization's education and outreach work across Denton County, according to a July profile in Live Local Magazines.

"Addiction is a disease, not a moral failing," Furin said in that July profile. "Individuals who struggle with substance abuse should be treated with the same level of sympathy and compassion as anyone who is sick."

The nonprofit works with Denton County Juvenile Court, Flower Mound Municipal Court and the Lewisville/Flower Mound Teen Court to assist teens facing substance abuse issues. It also offers ongoing Narcan training that teaches participants to recognize overdose signs and administer the antidote.

Trietsch Memorial UMC, which hosts an existing Recovery & Care ministry, is providing the space for the series at 6101 Morriss Road in Flower Mound.

Upcoming community dates

  • Mondays, Sept. 14 through Oct. 5: Mondays on a Mission, 7 p.m., Trietsch Memorial UMC, Room 292, 6101 Morriss Road, Flower Mound