What is CHHAR?
Homelessness and drug abuse are ongoing and many times directly related issues affecting our communities, schools and workforce. Based on data from the 2017-2018 school year, Harlan County High School alone had an alarming number students identified as homeless due to substandard living conditions or living with someone other than a parent or guardian. In extreme circumstances, we have students who have nowhere to stay. This is often overlooked by those of us that do not face these day in and out challenges to simply survive. Additionally, the condition of homelessness often leads to substance abuse and we have a number of local facilities that provide addiction recovery, but a very high percentage of rehab graduates relapse back into substance abuse due to having nowhere else to go but back into their former lifestyle and living conditions.
CHHAR is an acronym that stands for "Community Homes for Homelessness and Addiction Recovery". CHHAR is an organization made up of the Student Senate of Harlan County High School along with a number of community partners, including the Harlan County High School FRYSC, and is dedicated to ‘telling the story’ of what we are collectively doing to make a difference in the lives of those who need a hand up! Through our partnership, the CHHAR website (address), and other platforms including their YouTube Channel (link), we will provide the goals and progress of our local transitional housing community, how it will impact both students who are identified as homeless and those graduating from a rehabilitation program and what we are doing to educate our communities about the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic while also providing resources to aid in prevention.