Al and Debbie Kinkle lost their daughter, Kimmie, to an accidental overdose due to heroin laced with fentanyl in December 2015. The Kinkle family turned their grief into purpose by starting two different funds: Kimmie’s Recovery Zone and Kimmie’s Angels.

Since 2015, the number of overdoses and overdose deaths have surged due to fentanyl. In 2021, the State Department of Health reported 8,093 fatal overdoses in Florida, while the National Center for Health Statistics reported 108,606 overdose deaths nationwide by March 2022. Preliminary numbers for February 2023 reported 105,258 overdose deaths nationwide.

Al Kinkle and the KRZ team continue to fight to help prevent other families from experiencing the pain of losing a loved one to addiction. Kimmie’s Recovery Zone has provided over 16,000 units of opioid reversal medication in the past three years.

Naloxone (Narcan) is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped because of overdosing with heroin, fentanyl or prescription opioid pain medications. Narcan Nasal Spray is a prefilled, needle-free device that requires no assembly and is sprayed into one nostril while patients lay on their back.

“I often ask myself what if Kimmie had this nasal spray available,” said Kinkle.

Kimmie’s Recovery Zone is local nonprofit supporting the recovery community and those impacted by mental health and Substance Use Disorders.

“Recovery is a lifelong commitment,” said Kinkle. “The mission of Kimmie’s Recovery Zone is to mobilize resources to offer solutions for long-term recovery for the individual experiencing hardship from mental health and substance use disorders, as well as ease the pain of their family and friends affected. KRZ provides services and resources including: wellness programs, narcan distribution, meeting space, peer support, peer training, food distribution, family support, recovery support meetings and KRZ is a referral resource hub.”

Kimmie’s Recovery Zone will be hosting a family fun event Party in the Park, emphasizing recovery is for everyone during Recovery Month on Saturday, Sept. 23, where it will also be offering free Narcan and training to all those that attend.

Party in the Park will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at Lakes Regional Park, 7330 Gladiolus Drive, Fort Myers. The event is free.

National Recovery Month is an international observance held every September to educate people about how substance use and mental health services can enable individuals and their families to live healthy and rewarding lives. All money raised will help Kimmie’s Recovery Zone to continue to provide free education and resources to help individuals and families identify multiple pathways to recovery.

Learn more about the upcoming event Party in the Park in September HERE.

For additional information, visit www.kimmiesrecoveryzone.org.