Cabarrus CORE community event returns Aug. 19

Published on August 14, 2026

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Cabarrus County’s annual Cabarrus CORE (Collaborative Opioid Recovery and Education) community event returns Wednesday, Aug. 19, giving residents an opportunity to learn how opioid settlement funds are being used across the county and what’s ahead in the community’s response to the opioid crisis.

The free event begins at 6 p.m. at the Library and Active Living Center at Afton Ridge. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Residents can learn about local programs and services, connect with the organizations behind the work and see how opioid settlement investments are expanding options for people and families affected by opioid use disorder.

The event brings together Cabarrus CORE partners from across the community, including health care providers, recovery organizations, first responders, schools, law enforcement and County departments working together to strengthen the local continuum of care.

“In the last three years, we have made significant strides in expanding and strengthening the continuum of care available to residents impacted by opioid use disorder,” said Cabarrus County Assistant County Manager and Health and Human Services Director Dr. Aalece Pugh. “Through strategic investments of opioid settlement funding, we have increased access to services across the prevention, treatment and recovery spectrum.”

These investments have helped enhance existing programs, develop new community-based resources, expand recovery support, increase access to treatment services and implement prevention initiatives designed to reduce substance misuse before it begins.

One example is The Retreat at the Cabin, a peer-run respite home developed in partnership with Executive Director of Promise Resource Network Cherene Caraco. The Retreat provides a voluntary, non-clinical, recovery-oriented alternative for people experiencing emotional distress or behavioral health challenges. Guests can receive encouragement and support from trained peers with lived experience, helping them stabilize and recover without unnecessary hospitalization or involvement in more restrictive levels of care.

Caraco, the event’s keynote speaker, has nearly three decades of experience advancing approaches that promote healing, wellness and recovery for people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. As a survivor of trauma, she brings lived experience to her work.

The Retreat at the Cabin was made possible in part through opioid settlement funding allocated to Cabarrus County through the McKinsey settlement.

Cabarrus County is expected to receive nearly $23 million in opioid settlement funding through 2038, providing an opportunity to continue building on the work already underway.

“While there is still important work ahead, I am proud of the collaborative efforts of our community partners, healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, schools, faith communities and individuals with lived experience who have helped make this progress possible,” Pugh said. “Together, we are building a stronger, more comprehensive system of care that offers hope, healing and support to individuals and families affected by opioid use disorder.”

The Aug. 19 event will include:

  • Complimentary food
  • Entertainment, including BINGO with Bingo, an Aussiedoodle therapy dog trained through settlement funds to support EMS workers facing secondary trauma from opioid overdose calls
  • Hands-on exploration of Cabarrus EMS vehicles
  • Opportunities to meet the leaders and community partners behind Cabarrus CORE

Residents are invited to come for an evening of connection and learning.  For more information, contact the Cabarrus County Opioid Settlement team at osf@cabarruscounty.us.

 

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