Westmoreland courthouse gets purple treatment for National Recovery Month

The Westmoreland County Courthouse dome will be bathed in purple during September for National Recovery Month.

Director of public works Greg McCloskey said the purple lights were to be turned on Thursday night.

It was as a result of a request made by Tim Phillips, director of the Westmoreland Drug Overdose Task Force. The purple light for September has become a tradition, Phillips said.

County officials have been for several years shining colored lights on the iconic dome in Greensburg to represent various awareness campaigns. In the past, blue lights have stood for human trafficking awareness and a red, white and blue display last year was meant to honor those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

The dome was lit up in red in October 2018 to honor fallen firefighters.

Those struggling with addiction have found new roadblocks during the past 18 months of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shutdowns in March 2020 may have brought about stress and isolation, making it difficult for someone dealing with addiction to stick with positive habits. Social networks of supports may have eroded during the pandemic while rehabilitation centers instituted telehealth services and some support groups switched to virtual meetings.

“We’ve seen a big increase in people using different substances, including alcohol,” Phillips said.

But there is help. And hope, he said.

“Recovery is available for everybody,” he said.