Rae of Change officially launches

COLFAX - The official launch event for nonprofit organization Rae of Change Lucy's Legacy brought the community together to talk about addiction, mental health and overdoses.

The organization had several speakers and awarded a $1,000 scholarship and donated $2,000 to the Union Gospel Mission.

Rae of Change Executive Assistant Sharon Herridge introduced speakers and opened as Emcee.

Change is to help people find their purpose, build upon their strengths and ultimately foster hope for a bright future," Herridge said, introducing Lucy's mother Jodi Lautenschlager to speak.

Lautenschlager shared Lucy's story starting out with an opioid addiction starting with Hydrocodone to an unhealthy relationship and drug addiction resulting in her overdose.

A video made sharing the mission of Rae of Change was played followed by Lucy's sister and President and Founder of the nonprofit Katrina Lautenschlager.

"The United States is in the midst of a national epidemic, a dual crisis of drug abuse and mental health issues that has touched everyone in our society," Katrina said. "This epidemic does not discriminate, it affects people of every age, background and community and the consequences are devastating."

Katrina said every day there are more than 100 lives lost to drug overdose in this country.

"That's over 100 families shattered, over 100 stories that could have different ending if only they had more support, more resources and more understanding had been available," she said.

Katrina shared that the Lautenschlager family is launching a program called American Made Beef that includes a subscription box, with 10% of every sale going to support Rae of Change to honor Lucy's life and champion and continue to grow the nonprofit to create a greater impact.

"I'm a big believer that God does not put people in our path by accident," Katrina said, adding that those who showed up were meant to be a part of the movement.

Whitman County Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Chris Chapman spoke to the crowd next, sharing the history and statistics of drugs and overdoses.

Chapman showed tips of what to look for and how to react when presented with a possible overdose. Whitman County Health Department supplied the nonprofit with free naloxone kits to give those in attendance.

"We need to know what to look for," said Chapman.

According to Chapman, drug issues started being seen in Whitman County when deputies started seeing random cars parked with people waiting for appointments which was later learned were drug pickups.

"75,000 people a year, last year is crazy," Chapman said, noting this is from dying from an overdose in the United States.

"Why is 75,000 people acceptable to be having dying every day," he said.

Statistics for Whitman County were at a total of 32 overdose deaths January 2020 to November 2024, with the manner of death suicide 15.63% and by accident 84.38%.

"One day in Spokane two weeks ago, six people died from Fentanyl overdose in one day," said President of the Union Gospel Mission Phil Altmeyer. "We don't hear it in the news, we don't see it, it's the biggest secret out there."

Altermeyer thanked the family for sharing the story of Lucy.

"They have a heart to see that because of what happened to Lucy they don't want to see it happen to other people," he said. "There is hope, there is opportunity for change."