Photo Caption: Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) collaborated with Gloucester County Addiction Services, Rowan University-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan-Virtua SOM), and Living Proof Recovery Center, at its Gloucester Campus for Save a Life Day—an educational, community-based event designed to provide resources to community members and reduce barriers for those struggling with addiction. Leadership from RCSJ, Gloucester County, Rowan-Virtua SOM, and Center for Family Services spoke at the event.
On September 25, 2025, Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) collaborated with Gloucester County Addiction Services, Rowan University-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan-Virtua SOM), and Living Proof Recovery Center, at its Gloucester Campus for Save a Life Day—an educational, community-based event designed to provide resources to community members and reduce barriers for those struggling with addiction. The free event took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Save a Life Day aimed to distribute Narcan to community members while also providing lifesaving Narcan education. Those who attended also received free light refreshments and Mister Softee. The event began as a small pilot program in West Virginia in 2020 and has since expanded, with participation from all 50 states in 2025. This year marks the first time that RCSJ and Gloucester County are involved in the event.
Gloucester County Director, Frank J. DiMarco said, “Save a Life Day was about removing barriers. By getting Narcan and training into the community, we gave people a simple, lifesaving tool and the confidence to use it. Working with RCSJ, Rowan-Virtua SOM, and the Living Proof Recovery Center ensured that help is accessible, and no one has to struggle in silence."
“Events like Save a Life Day bring our community together around hope, education, and second chances," added Jim Jefferson, Gloucester County deputy director, “When we break down stigma and make lifesaving tools available to everyone, we don't just save lives—we strengthen families and support recovery for the long term."
Samantha Van Kooy, RCSJ's associate vice president of community engagement and human services, facilitated the event: “We've all been working together on this project to increase awareness, break down stigma, and get people who are interested in recovery into these services that will be able to help them live a fulfilling life."
Van Kooy continued, “So many of us – by the time you're an adult – know someone who has struggled with addiction... We all have a story that's impacted us personally."
Christa Nees, lab manager for RCSJ's Nursing and Health Professions, demonstrated how to apply Narcan using a MegaCode Kelly full-body manikin. The manikin can also simulate an overdose using the manikin's SimPad, which directly alters its vitals.
“Today's been very eye-opening," shared Nees, “People have been coming in and they're like, 'How do I know [if someone is experiencing an overdose]?' and I'm like, 'You don't.'... That's why we need a product like Narcan that can turn the overdose and save them, or it's going to do nothing – and that's fine."
Sharing this information helped attendees understand that administering Narcan cannot further harm someone, whether or not they are experiencing an overdose. The best thing for an individual to do in that scenario is to administer the Narcan and call 9-1-1.
“Don't hesitate," Nees urged, “Every life is valuable."
Save a Life Day sheds light on how many resources are extended to those combating addiction or know someone who is combating addiction in Gloucester County. By highlighting these connections, community members are better able to find the resources they may need.
“The event itself is a great day for Gloucester County," expressed Dr. George Scott, associate dean for community affairs at Rowan-Virtua SOM, “It shows the importance of substance use disorder, in addition to the partnership that's been forged between the county, education, and private industry, to help find a way to save lives."
Save a Life Day also marked the grand re-opening of the Living Proof Recovery Center on the RCSJ campus. While Center for Family Services has been a collaborative partner with RCSJ and Gloucester County for over a decade, this marks the first time their on-campus Living Proof Recovery Center has had its very own building on the Gloucester campus.
In celebration of the re-opening, Dr. Brenden Rickards, interim president of RCSJ, addressed the expansion's significance to the community: “Save a Life Day represents the very heart of RCSJ's mission—to serve, to educate, and to support our community when it matters most. Today, we not only honor the lives we can help protect, but we also celebrate the re-opening of our Living Proof Recovery Center, a place of hope, healing, and second chances for all who walk through its doors."
Cindy Herdman Ivins, chief administrative officer at Center for Family Services, also described how important the accessibility of Living Proof Recovery Center is for students: “Where we are, we're more accessible for students to come be a part of our community... Our goal with Living Proof Recovery Center is to support an individual's recovery journey no matter where it is."
Ivins added, “This is a connecting hub. Our team members who are here are certified peer recovery specialists – they've lived it. They have the lived experience. So, if it's just a quiet conversation, offering support, hearing where someone is, or connecting them to a resource that might be helpful – we do that."
Ivins recounted what she hoped every community member would know after leaving Save a Life Day: “You are not alone. We do save lives together. Just come visit us."
For more information about Save a Life Day, contact Samantha Van Kooy at [email protected], and to learn more about RCSJ's Living Proof Recovery Center, visit https://www.centerffs.org/lprc/home.
