Nov. 19--PINK HILL -- Head south on N.C. 11 from Kinston and you'll soon run into signs imploring the community to stay away from methamphetamine.

More than 100 of the signs, which blare the message "Meth, Stop B4 U Start!" have been placed within the Pink Hill town limits and in a 10-mile radius of the town.

Five local churches, working in partnership with HELP-MAMa (Healing through Education, Love and Prayer-Mothers Against Methamphetamine) purchased the signs and placed them throughout the community.

"I have a passion for individuals who are just down and out, (on) society's margin," said the Rev. Linda Grider, minister for Pink Hill and Woodland United Methodist Churches.

HELP-MAMa, formed last November, works to raise community awareness of meth addiction through visits to schools, churches and civic groups, plus public art projects such as the signs, and painting old buildings with messages against meth.

Grider's son Jason led the painting of an old store near B.F. Grady Elementary School in Duplin County.

"Hopefully, with the signs and things like that, it gives you that one little opening that you can have a discussion about drug awareness and drug prevention," she said.

HELP-MAMa's bi-monthly support group meetings are held at Pink Hill UMC, led by Grider. The meetings are open to those who have passed the initial phases of recovery from meth addiction and families of those who are still addicted.

"We try to educate them as to what the drug does to their physical body, also educate them to the resources that are available to deal with the realities that the drug has placed on their physical body, in just a loving, supportive (environment), and of course the prayer component," she explained.

MAMa is a national faith-based organization, based in Alabama, that helps communities fight meth addiction.

Paula Britt, D.L. Scott and Angela Turner, residents of the Pink Hill-Albertson area, formed HELP as a local MAMa chapter, serving Duplin and Lenoir County, after hearing MAMa President Dr. Mary Holley speak in Kenansville last year.

"I was just amazed," Britt said. "That's where I found out what meth was, what it's made of, how addictive it is.

"And after that, D.L. and Angela and myself just decided that there was a need in this area for something like MAMa to support the family members that are going through it, because let me tell you, the addict is not the only one who is going through the pain; the family suffers immensely."

Britt and Scott have had children struggle to overcome meth addictions. Britt's son, now 22, was addicted to the drug as a teenager and crashed his pickup truck four years ago.

Even though there was a slim chance he could walk again, Britt's son recovered and stayed clean for two years.

He then fell back into it, was arrested, went to several months of treatment and came back home last August. He has been sober since.

"My son says that in his testimony now that he can stand up and inform people of the power of the Lord ... he says this is the devil's drug, and it's a war," she said.

HELP-MAMa also connects addicts with faith-based, private treatment centers throughout North Carolina.

"We just believe that you have to have the power of the Holy Spirit to fight this addiction," Britt said.

David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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