By David Karas | Correspondent

Deacon Bill Wilson, of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, witnessed the pain of addiction firsthand while he was paying respects to Kevin Meara, whose son, K.C., died as a result of a drug overdose.

Not long after that, Deacon Wilson, also director of property and construction for the Diocese of Trenton, heard about Meara’s plan to help others who have been touched by addiction.

“When he investigated the system, when it came to help, he found out there really was no system,” Deacon Wilson said. “I was told that he was going to start an organization of some kind to try to help people.”

That idea evolved into City of Angels NJ, a non-profit organization based in Hamilton that provides resources and a meeting place for recovering addicts and their families.

“Originally, our mission was just to show people how to navigate the system,” said Deacon Wilson, who serves as a member of the executive advisory council. “It grew from that, and we are much bigger now.”

Today, City of Angels provides support to those suffering from addictions, as well as their families, both in entering and completing treatment programming and in the process of re-entering their daily lives once treatment is complete. Those services include emotional support, a safe meeting place, assistance securing employment and various educational programs.

Deacon Wilson cited statistics that indicate more than 4,300 lives were lost in New Jersey from 2010 to the present due to drug overdoses, adding that more than 30 Mercer County residents had suffered fatal overdoses in the first six months of the year.

One of his roles with City of Angels is to help run Sunday evening spirituality meetings, which draw more than 25 participants on average and include Scripture readings and group discussions.

“We read Scripture, we discuss Scripture, and have each person talk about their week,” he said, adding that the group includes addicts at varying levels of recovery – from a week or two clean to more than several years. “I see great signs of hope there.”

Alison Sahoo, director of marketing and communications for City of Angels – which is staffed entirely by volunteers – described the devastation caused by addiction.

“It is just unbelievable,” she said. “It destroys families; parents get divorced; and people spend every dime that they have trying to help their son, or their daughter, and then some.”

She said that City of Angels has been able to serve more than 2,500 since its founding, and 500 last year alone.

Sahoo said that addicts and their loved ones face a host of challenges in seeking support, including steep costs for treatment programs if they are uninsured, or if their insurance runs out. More than half of the calls the organization receives, she said, come from those who are uninsured.

She added that City of Angels often utilizes faith-based treatment centers, and works to help secure treatment at an affordable cost for clients.

City of Angels NJ will host a 5K walk and run event Sept. 14, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mercer County Park West, West Windsor, to help raise funds to support its work. The event includes food, music and entertainment, as well as awards to walkers and runners with the best times. Pre-registered participants will also receive a free t-shirt.

For more information and to register, visit www.crowdrise.com/walkwiththeangels. For more information on City of Angels, visit www.cityofangelsnj.org.