WARSAW – A movement to reduce the number of overdose deaths and suicides in Kosiusko County is gaining traction.

A local Suicide-Overdose Fatality Review (SOFR) team was established in 2024 with the support of county coroner Tyler Huffer and Tammy Cotton, a co-founder of LITE Recovery Hub, whose organization often sees upclose the impact of both types of deaths.

The SOFR team includes representatives of local hospitals, mental health organizations, law enforcement, emergency responders and others who meet regularly to review recent cases in hopes of learning what can be done to reduce those types of deaths in the future.

Nationally, suicides have been on the rise since the pandemic, with an increasing number involving young people.

While the local number of overdoses deaths has fallen in recent years, the number of suicides has perhaps gained more attention.

The coroner’s office documented 14 overdose deaths last year, which is nearly half as many as it was just a few years ago.

There were 16 suicides in the county in 2025. 

The county recorded four suicides in January.

SOFR uses guidelines from the Indiana Department of Health in developing programs that address suicide and overdose deaths. Marshall and Whitley counties have also established SOFR teams.

In Kosicusko County, one program is already established, and another is being developed.

Both were jump-started with grant money secured by Cotton.

Handle with Care is used in the Warsaw and Tippecanoe Valley school districts and helps school officials identify students who have experienced a traumatic event so they can watch for signs that those students are struggling.

The other initiative is the creation of a LOSS Team (Local Outreach for Suicide Survivors), a concept being embraced in other communities, which offers support and resources to those closely affected by suicide, often family members.

Losing a family member to suicide significantly increases the risk of suicidal behavior for survivors.

The group includes involvement from those who have been touched by suicide.

Organizers say they want to create a supportive community, which can help reduce the amount of isolation people often experience after being close to someone who has taken their life.

"We're trying to help those from going down that same road," Huffer said.

Cotton said they are still in the early stages of establishing the LOSS team and that they will eventually have a Facebook page.

SOFR is also promoting a new effort led by Warsaw CARES to offer free training on how to approach somebody who they think might be feeling suicidal.

The class is called QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer.

"It's basically CPR for suicide prevention, said Tanya Jackson, one of two full-time staff with CARES.

She said numerous groups, including Warsaw city employees, have had the training, and officials believe it could benefit young people.

"It's something everyone should be trained on, I feel like, because you never know when you're going to come across someone that might have suicidal thoughts," Cotton said.

Huffer said he’s encouraged by the progress of SOFR and said he’d like to see even more collaboration, especially with CARES.

“We’re moving in the right direction, for sure,” Huffer said.

Cotton agrees

"I think we have some growing to do, but we're on the right track," Cotton said. "I know we're making a difference because we're seeing the numbers go down in overdose deaths."

While Fentanyl remains prevalent in the community, the number of overdose deaths from Fentanyl has dropped off significantly,  officials said.

Cotton, who tracks overdose deaths, said she thinks increased access to Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose, has helped.

LITE is in the process of making Narcan easily available free of charge throughout the county.

Soon after assuming office in 2023, Huffer installed a sign outside his office on Old Road 30 that tracks the number of overdose deaths for the year.

“That sign outside the coroner's office won't come down until we have zero,” he said

.

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WARSAW — To suggest Makia Lucas overcame adversity would be a monumental understatement.

The 18-year-old was 13 when her father, Matthew Lucas, was murdered in his home off Fox Farm Road in Warsaw by his girlfriend, who then attacked Makia’s grandparents

Makia's grandmother died two weeks later from COVID and from lingering trauma from the attack. And soon afterward, inextricably, Makia's infant baby brother passed away as well.

[caption id="attachment_116163" align="alignright" width="420"] Briana Kessler smiles as her Little Sister, Makia Lucas, talks during a Big Brothers Big Sisters function in this undated photo provided by BBBS. The two have been matched for 11 years.[/caption]

But through all of that, Makia found strength and support through school and others, as well as Briana Kessler, whom she was matched with six years earlier through Lunch Buddies, a program operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kosciusko County.

A year later, their bond continued to grow in the more traditional BBBS community program, and they continued to meet regularly

Despite the struggles in her home life, Makia continued to excel and made it a point to improve her life with memories of her father never far behind.

“When children go through a lot of hardships, they go down pretty fast, and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to make something out of my story," Makia said in an interview for In The Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

"So I pushed myself to the absolute hardest to help every kid who’s going through hardships at a young age and pushing through them,” she said.

Throughout high school, she was an honor student and participated in basketball and track until she was sidelined by injuries.

But that only seemed to motivate her even more.

She received her associate’s degree in criminal justice when she was 17.

She was President of JAG Indiana (Jobs for America's Graduates), participated in Kosckusko County’s Teen Court program, and (with the support of JAG) interned for a year at LITE Recovery Café in Milford.

Makia's father struggled with drug use, which was one of the reasons she wanted to get involved with LITE, a well-established recovery center.

"I just wanted to be on the other side of the system, just helping people instead of being in the prosecutor's office or the courtroom," she said. "I really wanted to work with people and get to learn that side ... people go through the hardest things, and just being there for them."

Earlier this week, she headed to Ball State University for her freshman year where she will continue her studies in criminal justice.

[caption id="attachment_116176" align="alignright" width="300"] Makia and Briana are pictured in this undated photo provided by BBBS.[/caption]

Makia was asked about the impact Briana has had on her.

“She’s helped shape me into the person I am today,” Makia said. ”When we first met, I was like a mute child. I did not talk. I was so quiet. I didn’t talk to anybody besides my family.”

“I absolutely love her. She’s definitely a part of my family and will be for the rest of my life,” she said.

“I always say my favorite thing about her is she just makes everyone around her feel so comfortable," she added.

Briana was asked how she equipped herself to respond soon after the tragedies unfolded.

“I’m by no means equipped to do anything. I have the power of God behind me. I truly believe in God, and I prayed for her a lot,” Brianna said.

On June 12, Briana and Makia were announced as the national Big Sister and Little Sister of the Year at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) national conference.

They flew to Philadelphia to receive the award and will now be national BBBS advocates for the next year.

BBBS sees Makia as a testament to what hard work, determination, and support along the way can do for youth.

Tammy Smith, director of development for BBBS of Kosciusko County, said the chaper was "super excited" about the honor.

"It's an opportunity for their story ... to be told and hopefully, it inspires other people to become a Big Brother or Big Sister," Smith said. "There are a lot of kids out there like Makia who just need somebody to show up for them."

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

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WARSAW — Trinity United Methodist Church, 832 E. Center St., Warsaw, is partnering with Living in Transition Effectively (LITE) by providing a place to meet for two of its programs.

RISE
Tammy Cotton, founder and executive director of LITE, said the teen Resilience, Inspiration, Support, Empowerment (RISE) support group first starting meeting in Milford in December 2023 on Sunday nights at the Milford Methodist Meeting House.

The group was successful in Milford, so LITE wanted to offer the same to kids in Warsaw. She said transportation is always an issue and Shelly Metzger, certified peer navigator for LITE, decided she would like to lead the Warsaw meeting.

“So we met with (Trinity UMC Pastor) Andrea (Kennedy) and she opened the doors to us and is allowing us to use the space and it has worked out really, really well,” Cotton said.
Kennedy said Trinity UMC has a women’s circle group and some of the women in the group invited Kennedy to a talk at the 802 Center Apartments next door to the church and Cotton was the guest speaker that day. Somewhere in Cotton’s speech, she mentioned Metzger was planning on leading RISE somewhere in the Warsaw area and was looking for a space to meet.

“And I said, ‘Tammy, let me talk to my trustees because we would love to have people in our building and it sounds like a great fit.’ And it sort of spiraled from there. We got all of our paperwork in order,” Kennedy said. “As a congregation, as a church, we’re just excited to be able to partner with LITE Recovery Hub and to be able to offer this space as a space to meet so people from Warsaw proper don’t have to trek up to Milford. We’re loving having people in the building, loving to be able to start this relationship and have people be comfortable coming here. And that’s our hope and goal.”

RISE meets at Trinity from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and provides a safe space for teens to come and share, Cotton said. The group has been meeting at the church for about a year.
During the meetings, topics include peer pressure, mental health and trauma.
“We really just leave it up to the kids and kinda see where the discussion goes. Some meetings, we’ll have just fun activities,” Cotton said.

“Again, it’s just providing safe space and getting them to come out of their shells a little bit and hopefully share and work on some of the things they’re working on and just letting them be heard. Kids, I think, sometimes feel like nobody’s listening,” Cotton said.

With the group, “we’re trying to provide a safe space and build a positive community. I think it gives kids hope. It helps them know that there are people who care about them. A lot of times, they may not have family who they feel care about them and what they’re going through. It also teaches them life skills. We talked a lot about self-reflection and how they see themselves and finding hobbies or finding things they’re interested in. It’s a whole lot of different things, but it’s really just getting them back on track if they need to, you know, just be successful as teens and know they have a purpose and they can set goals and reach those goals if choose to,” Cotton said.

So far, group size has varied with most weeks being around six to eight, Cotton said. The average age range they’re seeing is 15- and 16-year-olds, but serve ages 13-19.
She noted there are no requirements to come to attend the meetings, but they do get referrals from the juvenile probation department or teen court. Kids who are mandated to go to a certain number of meetings are asking if they could come to the meetings beyond what they’re required to or even bring friends.

For the Milford meeting, Cotton said the majority of the kids there are Wawasee students and she assumes the kids who meet at Trinity UMC are Warsaw students. However, “we’d certainly like to reach out to Tippy Valley, Whitko, you know, those schools. We’ve gotten information to those schools, but then again, transportation becomes a barrier for some people,” Cotton said.

They are able to provide transportation to the RISE meetings for Valley and Whitko students if needed. There is a Teen Reach app LITE uses for the Recovery Cafe. Any student who logs into that app can ask for rides.

CRAFT

The second group being hosted at Trinity is the Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT) group.

“This reaches and targets the family members of those who are struggling,” Cotton said. CRAFT is not to replace other organizations that help loved ones like Mom of an Addict and Parents of Addicted Loved Ones.

“CRAFT is more of a curriculum, so each week, we have a lesson. And we provide the books. There’s a book and workbook that go with it. And it just talks about positive talk, you know, when you’re talking to your loved one who’s struggling, that it doesn’t do any good to be negative to them and put them down. It teaches boundaries,” Cotton said.

The book gives examples for the group to look at during the lesson. Attendees go through situations they’ve seen similar to that. She noted some people don’t like to talk about certain situations, but “if we hold emotions in and we keep stuffing them done, we’re eventually” going to explode. “And it is helpful to the person who is struggling with mental health and addiction that their family is also learning how to deal with the situation and they’re growing as well.”

Cotton said they’ve found that for people who are coming out of incarceration or recovery program, the person has worked on their issues but their family members haven’t “and it doesn’t work because the family is still thinking this person is the same person that left when they went to jail or whatever, so it really the family get a better understanding of how deal with the loved one.”

The group currently meets at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at Trinity UMC and started a few weeks ago. Cotton said a person doesn’t have to attend every week and each week talks about a topic individually.

Cotton said her staff have personal experiences with mental health and addiction, whether through themselves or a family member, so staff members do understand what people are going through.

“We’re hear to listen, we’re here to offer guidance, resources, whatever the person might need and we just want it to be safe space,” Cotton said. She hopes the programs are able to help people and put a dent in the addiction and mental health issues in the area.
Kennedy said holding the groups at Trinity UMC really opens up the church to welcoming the community.

“It’s another way for our congregation to extend their arms and say, ‘Hey, we love you. We’re sorry you’re going through things. How can we help? How can we walk alongside you?’ ” Kennedy said.

For anyone interested in attending either group, Cotton said people are welcome to walk in.

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WARSAW — Living in Transition Effectively, better known as LITE, continues to expand across Kosciusko County and the region with services five years after it was established.

The Milford-based group began initially focused solely on assisting inmates as they prepared to re-enter society after being incarcerated.

Initial goals involved helping offenders overcome many of the barrers they face once released. Those can include obtaining personal documents, getting a driver's license, and securing living accommodations and transportation.

These days, about 70 percent of the people they work with are former inmates, while the rest are folks with a variety of needs, said Tammy Cotton, LITE's executive director.

In 2023, LITE became one of ten regional recovery Hubs recognized by the state. LITE also started a women’s recovery residence with five beds and opened a cafe that has created a supportive community environment for those in recovery or struggling with other issues.

LITE offers a range of services (food and clothing, to name a few), and works closely with the sheriff’s office in assisting inmates.

The group is also the biggest distributor of Naloxone (also known as Narcan). In 2024, they distributed 500 doses of Narcan through street outreach programs and a box available at their Milford headquarters.

Earlier this year, Cotton was given approval by the Health First Kosciusko Advisory Committee to begin setting up Narcan distribution boxes throughout the county.

Cotton believes overall efforts to make Narcan readily available are making a difference in reducing overdose deaths, which fell dramatically in 2024.

She recently brought up the issue with the Suicide Overdose Fatality Review Team that she helped establish last year.

"It absolutely has (helped)," Cotton said. "I asked the question to the group, which is law enforcement, the coroner, individuals who are on scene, first responders, and they attribute it completely to the access to the Narcan."

Cotton made the comment for the public affairs show, In The Know, which airs this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations (see broadcast hours at the bottom of this story).

Also part of the show was Rochelle Taylor, who supervises a fleet of peer recovery coaches for LITE.

Taylor is part of a growing trend in which former drug users overcome their addiction and then become certified peer recovery coaches who work to support other substance abusers as they work to get away from the lifestyle.

Taylor doesn’t buy into the argument that people learn to rely on Narcan so they can continue to abuse opioids.

"Nobody uses so they can Narcan themselves. I can tell you that, because they lose their money, they go into withdrawal, they become sick and nobody wants to do that," Taylor said.

Taylor had been addicted to methamphetamine, was arrested several times and served several years in prison.

She's been clean for six years, and her role as a peer recovery coach has been all about turning "pain into purpose," she said.

Taylor also leads LITE's outreach program, in which she and others visit high-risk neighborhoods where drug use tends to be prevalent. They offer various types of support, including Narcan and harm reduction kits.

LITE also has an emphasis on outreach. They are often at Warsaw Community Public Library and the soup kitchen in Warsaw.

Education is also part of their mission.

That was the case on Thursday, when dozens of people participated in a "Re-Entry Similation" program at Cardinal Services and helped put into perspective the number of barriers former inmates face when they re-enter society.

Those barriers often stand in the way of former offenders as they try to find a stable, drug-free life.

The idea came from a KLA project headed up by Taylor.

Participants experienced the process of acclimating themselves after prison by visiting more than a dozen tables that represented the many issues former inmates face after being released.

Cotton explained the purpose of the meeting.

"I think the biggest thing is reducing stigma, bringing awareness, educating the community about the struggles people face," Cotton said. "Recently, I learned there are 97 barriers in the first three months for people coming out of incarceration, and that's what we're trying to portray here today."

LITE also has various transportation services, which were recently expanded.

To learn more, visit the LITE website.

[caption id="attachment_108523" align="alignnone" width="696"] More than 30 people participated in Thursday’s Re-entry Simulation program at Cardinal Services in Warsaw. The meeting was organized by LITE to help people understand the complexities that former inmates face when they re-enter society. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post As LITE turns 5, group expands efforts to help former inmates, others appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW— The Kosciusko Leadership Academy, in partnership with LITE (Living in Transition Effectively), Regional Recovery Hub, will host a Kosciusko Re-entry Simulator, an enlightening event designed to foster empathy and raise awareness of the challenges faced by those re-entering society after incarceration.

The event will be on April 17 at Cardinal Services in Warsaw from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The simulator, part of a White Paper project, aims to immerse participants in the real-life obstacles that individuals face when transitioning back into the community.

Through role-playing experiences, attendees will gain valuable insights into the difficulties surrounding employment, housing, and accessing support systems, ultimately helping to cultivate a more understanding and supportive environment for those re-entering society.

Leading this initiative are key team members: Rochelle Taylor-Peer Supervisor at LITE Recovery, Ryan Neese-Vice President and Manager of Data Analytics at Lake City Bank; Jacki Pawski, MPM-Community Living Director at Cardinal Services of Indiana; and Sean Bergsma. Their collective expertise and dedication to community improvement underscore the importance of this event.

A complimentary lunch, generously provided by Salvatori’s, will be available to all participants, ensuring a fulfilling experience both in knowledge and nourishment.

Community leaders, organizations, and members of the public are encouraged to attend and contribute to this important conversation. Together, we can work towards a more inclusive community that supports individuals during their critical transition period. Registration is through Eventbrite.

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WARSAW — The remaining $133,175 of Warsaw’s restricted opioid money set aside for 2024 will be directed to the Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education (K-CODE).

Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education was recently awarded $133,000 in money from the opioid settlement fund held by the city of Warsaw.

K-CODE Coordinator Heidi Blake said she hopes to see the money distributed quickly to local groups through grant applications.

K-CODE money is used for three components: prevention and education, treatment and law enforcement.

While the money will be shared equally, Blake said education and prevention is important.

"Honestly, the majority of the time, prevention gets left out. They are not at the table when it comes to opioid settlement," Blake said. "That's really important to me that prevention is at the tale. It's just as important as treatment and the justice system."

One area within that subset could address the misuse of pharmaceuticals.

"Maybe it's educating pharmacists," she said. "It's working with pharmacists so people are properly disposing of their medications and it's not falling into the wrong hands."

Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker recommended the city designate the money to K-CODE in a meeting last week. The city board of works approved the request.

K-CODE provides funds to Kosciusko Cares, Live Well Kosciusko, LITE, Serenity House, Bowen Center, Warsaw-Wayne CARES, Warsaw PD, Fellowship Missions and the local drug police task force known as NET-43.

K-CODE serves as the Local Coordinating Council for Kosciusko County and hosts monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at Papa Vino’s.
Blake said the meetings are a great opportunity for community leaders to come together and talk about issues surrounding substance use in our community.

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WARSAW — Ben Higgins will be the first to tell you downtown Warsaw doesn’t need another coffee shop – but it could always use generous amounts of love and goodness.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="92985,92988,92989,92986,92984,92990,92991"]

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MILFORD -- Several groups have come together to present a full-length documentary on the impact of the existing drug crisis on the community of Brown County.

Glory Girl Productions, in collaboration with LITE (Living In Transition Effectively), Kosciusko County on Drug Education (KCODE) and Anthem, will present a screening of the award-winning documentary, The Addict’s Wake, at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday at 210 W. Catherine St., Milford.

Admission is free, so tickets are not necessary.

(To view a trailer of the film, click here)

In the wake of the opioid crisis and the emergence of deadly fentanyl pouring into the United States, the impact of drug addiction rages on, destroying communities and families.

The documentary film – The Addict’s Wake – focuses on the people of one small town who, like those in so many communities across the nation, have felt the ripple effect of the addiction crisis in every corner of their county.

The feature-length film seeks to spur communities to take action and find a pathway
to hope and recovery.

“This film is a clarion call for community stakeholders to unite resources and ideologies to
fight back against substance-use disorder at a grass-roots level,” said film producer, Lisa
Hall, president of Glory Girl Productions.

“It takes you alongside a community searching for hope and solutions on the long journey from addiction to recovery.”

With meth, heroin, opioid addiction and deadly fentanyl, fatal overdoses were up 30 percent across the nation last year, according to the news release.

“While this film is set in the small community of Brown County, Indiana, it’s the story of
almost every county – small, rural, large, urban and inner city – in the United States,” said
Hall. “And this crisis hits every aspect of our society.”

The documentary shares interviews and perspectives from individuals and families
impacted, plus teachers, law enforcement, courts, neuroscience professionals and faith-based programs.

The Addict’s Wake has recently been selected to air on more than 300 public-broadcasting
stations throughout the country. It has earned acclaim with the Audience Choice Award at the Heartland International Film Festival, in addition to winning the Sedona International Film Festival’s Independent Spirit Award. The film has also spurred grant investment to create a shorter film that can be used in classrooms to help educate students and teachers about the impact of Substance Abuse Disorder, or SUD.

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MILFORD -- A new recovery home for women who are stepping beyond the walls of incarceration officially opened Saturday in Milford.

The LITE House Recovery Home on Catherine Street in Milford is an offshoot of LITE – Living in Transition Effectively – a volunteer organization dedicated to helping inmates prepare to re-enter society after being in jail or in prison.

Dozens of supporters of LITE on Saturday held a ribbon cutting and open house at the facility, which is adjacent to the Milford Methodist Meeting House where LITE has offices.

The home has five beds plus a day bed for short-term visits, according to Tammy Cotton, who worked to establish the program with her husband, Chris.

LITE, and the recovery house, aim to help inmates prepare for and adjust to life after prison with the goal of cutting down the percentage of those who end up back in jail.

The volunteer group has been working in the Kosciusko County Jail for nearly two years with assorted services including classes and access to more than 4,000 books.

Outside the jail, the group provides assistance in resurrecting personal paperwork that is often lost in the shuffle of incarceration but is necessary in finding employment, insurance and together basic needs.

A fleet of volunteers also helps with transportation needs for former inmates.

Tammy Cotton has also established a network among recovery homes. She’s identified about 40 homes in a 100-mile radius and is in touch with about 30 of them.

The home has two residents already and she has worked with five others to find homes that work for them.

"We’re all communicating and we’re connected so that if I have somebody who isn’t working out here or this isn’t the best place for her for her perspective, then I have all these other homes … that I can call,” she said.

Previously, most networks operated independently. Cotton said she thinks that’s changing.

“I think it’s going to start happening more and more because it’s a fix for a problem that we have where women (and men too) were getting kicked out because they broke a rule … so where are they going? Who knows where they are going? They’re ending up back in jail primarily. We’re trying to reduce that recidivism and keep them out of a jail and keep them in a program,” she said.

Supporters of LITE were joined by members of the Syracuse Wawasee Chamber of Commerce as well as Indiana Methodist Church Bishop Julius Trimble.

The Milford Methodist Meeting House was established recently after the Church  Catherine Steet closed and hosts a variety of counseling programs.

Supporters of LITE were joined by members of the Syracuse Wawasee Chamber of Commerce as well as Indiana Methodist Church Bishop Julius Trimble who is pictured above wearing a suit. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.

[caption id="attachment_77847" align="aligncenter" width="696"] The LITE House Recovery Home, seen in the background, is adjacent to the Milford Methodist Meeting House, where LITE has office space. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW -- While JCAP, the chemical addiction program in Kosciusko County’s jail, has received lots of attention in recent years, there’s another jail program that’s making waves and approaching two big milestones.

The program is known as LITE – Living in Transition Effectively – which was started three years ago by Chris and Tammy Cotton after they saw up close through a family member the lack of services available to inmates who are preparing to re-enter society.

What they learned was that many who have been incarcerated walk out of the jail and face the daunting challenges of employment, transportation, staying sober -- and for many --  trying to figure out whatever became of their Social Security Card, driver's license or birth certificate.

Without those basic documents, former inmates often struggle to find housing, insurance, a driver's license and a job.

Providing help in obtaining those documents can go a long way toward ensuring they get back on their feet and don't end up back in jail.

Inside the jail, they’ve built up a library service that began a few years ago with three dozen books and now has more than 4,000 available to inmates. They also acquired a cart that can be pushed around to different cell blocks.

LITE also oversees several types of classes with inmates who want to participate.

On top of that, they’ve amassed a volunteer network of 80 people who provide support and often, transportation.

The group is also establishing the Recovery Cafe in Milford where former inmates and others can gather, find support and share resources.

Another aspect is the LITE House Recovery Home, a residence at 208 W. Catherine St., in Milford that opened earlier this month and will provide a transition for women who are no longer incarcerated.

On Saturday, the group and other supporters will host an open house for the recovery home from 2 to 4 p.m.

On top of that, it appears many of LITE’s efforts could soon be formally embraced by Kosciusko County as the state is poised to expand a pilot program – Integrated Recovery and Correctional Support -- in Kosciusko County this summer.

The state program began last year in five counties and officials believe Kosciusko County is in a good position to be one of the next counties to receive state support – including upward of $500,000 in state funding that will include paid positions and training for peer-to-peer coaches.

IRACS began in Dearborn County in Southeast Indiana where officials say they've seen a reduction in recidivism.

Sheriff Jim Smith appreciates the service the Cottons are providing.

"When you talk to the inmates, they have nothing but good things to say about the LITE program, whether it be the book cart or the creative writing (class),” Smith said. 

"What LITE is trying to achieve -- and what IRACS will eventually do -- is try to change that cycle a little bit and start giving these resources to these inmates as they do re-enter society.”

The Cottons both said find satisfaction in helping develop a program that has simultaneously mirrors work that's been embraced by the state. 

“It is satisfying but there is so much work and it is never-ending," Cotton said. "But we’re so glad that our county is getting behind this.” 

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