Recent News
BRIGHT Leadership announces 2022 class
Among those selected by Leadership Kentucky for the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2022 is Jamie Gilliam, supervisor of Operation UNITE's KY HELP Statewide Call Center.UNITE has been involved with the BRIGHT Leadership initiative since its inception in 2019.BRIGHT Kentucky...
Congressman Rogers announces new District Director
SOMERSET, Ky. – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced Carlos Cameron, a life-long resident of Jackson County, will serve as his new District Director for southern and eastern Kentucky. Cameron has been on staff with Congressman Rogers since 2014, first...
HarborPath sponsorship will fund full-time prevention position
The first of two checks from HarborPath that will sponsor a prevention projects coordinator at Operation UNITE was presented June 21. Pictured, from left, are: UNITE President & CEO Nancy Hale; Patrick Schmidt, founder & CEO of FFF Enterprises, Inc.; Russell...
Reducing opioid addiction rates in Kentucky
Lawmakers and advocates discuss strategies for curbing a public health and social crisis By John Gregory Easy access to deadly fentanyl coupled with social disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic resulted in 2,250 Kentuckians succumbing to drug overdoses in 2021....
Increased use of fentanyl largest contributor to rise in KY death toll
2021 Kentucky Drug Overdose Report Now Available FRANKFORT, Ky. – Today, the Commonwealth of Kentucky released the 2021 Drug Overdose Report which indicates that 2,250 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021, a 14.5% increase compared with the year prior. More...
UNITE welcomes six interns for summer of 2022
Six interns will be assisting with Operation UNITE’s summer youth prevention programs in 2022.Funded through a Kentucky AmeriCorps grant, the interns will primarily be helping coordinate the five regional Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball camps with Jarrod Polson in...
UNITE offering 5 free regional basketball skills camps with Jarrod Polson
Operation UNITE is offering five regional Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball skills camps across southern and eastern Kentucky this summer.All school-aged youth are invited to participate in these free camps, which last from 4 pm to 7 pm. Camps will be...
21 students awarded ‘I Am UNITE’ scholarships
Twenty-one high school seniors in the Class of 2022 have been selected to receive “I Am UNITE” scholarships totaling $31,500 for being champions for anti-drug efforts in their schools and communities.“These scholarships honor youth – whom we call UNITE Ambassadors –...
Dr. Al Mooney to headline Appalachian Gathering
Parts of Appalachia have been called the epicenter of the American drug problem. In 2018, drug overdose mortality rates in Appalachia were 48% higher than the national average. The COVID-19 pandemic brought an increased mortality from substance use disorders for...