The Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, led by Trustee Kevin Tanner, recently held a ceremonial grant signing recognizing the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation. The combined total of $3 million in opioid settlement funding will fund five separate grants designed to address recovery, training, and research and evaluation objectives.

The signing ceremony was held on the campus of Georgia Southern University immediately prior to the Maine vs. Georgia Southern football game. Speaking at the signing ceremony were Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust Trustee Kevin Tanner, Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero, and Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives Jon Burns.  Several other state legislators as well as Georgia Southern University faculty and staff also attended.

“The Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust is proud to partner with Georgia Southern University’s Research and Service Foundation to support worthwhile projects to combat the effects of the opioid epidemic,” said Kevin Tanner, Trustee of the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust. “These funds will directly benefit the Georgia Southern community in Statesboro and Savannah as well as rural hospitals and recovery community organizations across the state.”

“Georgia Southern University is honored to be entrusted with these critical resources to address the opioid crisis in our state,” said Kyle Marrero, President of Georgia Southern University. “As a public-impact research institution, we are committed to leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and reach to make a meaningful difference for our students, communities, and the people of Georgia. We are proud to stand alongside the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust and our statewide partners in advancing recovery and building healthier communities.”

“It is always a great day to celebrate the organizations and institutions working together to help our communities recover from the tragedy of opioid addiction and misuse,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “As a proud alumnus and supporter of Georgia Southern University, I know the gifted faculty and researchers here will make wise use of this investment by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust. I also want to thank Governor Kemp and my colleagues in the General Assembly for supporting the state’s participation in the opioid settlements, which have made this investment possible.”

Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation received five separate grant awards, payable over a two-year period, as follows:

• Enhancing Collegiate Recovery Programming at GSU ($111,196.00)

• Enhancing the Response of Rural Hospitals to Georgia’s Opioid Crisis ($319,067.34)

• Operational Training & Education for Recovery Community Organizations in Georgia ($179,377.62)

• Rural Opioid Harm Reduction Project for the Justice-Involved [through the Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics] ($2,203,782.52)

• The Current & Future State of Harm Reduction Services in Georgia ($171,196.96)

With this grant funding support, Georgia Southern University is helping rural hospitals strengthen their response to opioid use, training recovery community organizations to grow and thrive, studying harm reduction services to better inform statewide efforts, and enhancing support for students in recovery on campus. The university is also leading the Rural Opioid Harm Reduction for Justice-Involved Individuals (ROHR) Project, which provides tools, resources, and training to sheriff’s offices, local facilities, and individuals impacted by the justice system. Together, these initiatives advance a common mission: reducing overdose deaths, promoting dignity and safety, and improving the health and well-being of communities across Georgia.