Sober Fest offers support for Merced community

Merced resident Thomas Adame Jr. had his first drink when he was in his early teens and by age 19, he says, he was an alcoholic. By age 21, Adame says, he was drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels a day.

“I had to have Jack just to function,” Adame, 39, said. “My hands would get so shaky I couldn’t take a shower.”

Adame said his addiction to alcohol led him to cocaine and eventually he started using methamphetamine. What made Adame want to get clean, he said, was when he failed to pick up his son on his birthday.

“Reality hit me hard,” Adame said. Now, Adame says, he’s been clean since April 14, 2016.

Adame says his drive to stay sober is being helped by his involvement with GEO Reentry Services and the medical assistant program offered by the Merced County Office of Education.

“Since then, my life has been a complete turnaround,” Adame said Saturday at Merced’s second annual Sober Fest.

The event is aimed at helping anybody who is in Adame’s position or knows somebody who has struggled with substance abuse.

“It’s all about awareness,” said Chris Haberman, officer for Merced County Probation Department. “Not a lot of people are aware of services in Merced.”

The Valley Crisis Center, All Moms Matter, AEGIS Treatment Centers, Merced County Food Bank and Women, Infants and Children were among local service providers handing out information during Sober Fest on Saturday in Merced County Courthouse Park.

The event was modeled after Fresno’s Sober Stock, said Jason McClung, program manager for GEO Reentry Services.

GEO Reentry Services, the Merced County Probation Department and the Merced County Sheriff’s Office worked together to have a substance awareness and recovery event.

John Hendon, officer for the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, said 80 percent of adults in custody are in for some type of substance abuse, and that makes a huge impact on the community.

“Law enforcement is trying to offer something other than just incarceration,” Hendon said. “Substance abuse has the ability to affect a family as a whole. They get to see the info out here.”

Haberman said Sober Fest also gives the community a chance to talk and learn from law enforcement. He said he hopes Sober Fest keeps developing and becoming bigger in the community, and doesn’t see it stopping anytime soon.

“It shows people we’re trying to bring the community together,” Haberman said. “We’re regular people just like everyone else, and it lets people see us in an informal setting.”

McClung said this year he noticed more people showed up, and the family atmosphere was more prevalent. There were bounce houses, dance contests, giveaways and Elvira’s Tacos for people to enjoy.

“The biggest thing is the providers,” McClung said. “People are able to (learn about) opportunities and different things local groups offer.”

Merced County Probation Department and the Sheriff’s Office have a teen outreach program the last Monday of every month at the Trident Center in Merced.

“It’s part of fighting the battle with substance abuse,” Hendon said. “It’s giving them knowledge when they’re younger. They keep it as real as possible with the kids.”

Parents are also welcome to attend the outreach program, and community members can call the Sheriff’s Office at 209-385-7445 to be put on the roster.

This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Sober Fest offers support for Merced community."