The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ national America250 initiative to send trucks filled with nonperishables to 250 food banks ac…

Dr. Katie Samuels returned to Burke County as the Opioid Settlement Coordinator in spring 2025, and among the many milestones passed, the county has negotiated a lower purchase price for naloxone kits provided free across the county, established a Post Overdose Response Team (PORT), created a safe space for recovery support, and propelled local partners into implementing opioid addiction treatment programs.

Across Burke County, several small businesses and churches picked up the slack in community support, offering free meals to anyone who presented a SNAP/EBT card.