Tugg Massa, with Akron Say No to Dope, said local drug court judges have reached out to members of the faith community to fight an ongoing opioid addiction.
"You have to have all the components to recovery and that's one that they can't force," said Massa. "Because in the courts, its separation of church and state, so even the judges can't even pray."
Rick Rhodes is one of the pastors who agreed to help. Rhodes leads Movement Church, in Coventry Township.
"I was a functioning alcoholic," said Rhodes. "I drank Bourbon, and usually a fifth and a half, two- fifths a night. You don’t have to be perfect to be in church. To be broken is fine. That’s who we reach out to: lost and broken people."
Rhodes said he will begin his street ministry in January.
