LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. – Lehigh County is stepping up the fight against addiction.

On Friday, officials celebrated the grand opening of a new program in Allentown expanding support to children and families affected by substance abuse.

“I relapsed in 2020 on meth. I watched myself lose everything; I lost my house, I lost my cars, I lost my job, and then ultimately, my kids,” said Amber Shook.

The woman went through a dark relapse and lost everything when she became addicted to Methamphetamine.

“The types of drugs people have been getting addicted to in recent years are shifting; the problem changes. It’s changing from opioids to some other drugs,” District Attorney of Lehigh County, Gavin Holihan, says.

Stimulant use is the new battle Lehigh County is trying to fight, with an increase in use from 19% in 2021 to 25% in 2026.

“When they’re in addiction, they’re more likely to commit crimes, and those are crimes that resonate throughout the community,” explains Holihan

Now, the launch of a new program with Change on Hamilton in Allentown is helping families recover.

“The Journeys program and the Westminster Mommy and Me Program are a place where families can recover together, so we can prevent the cycle of generations of families becoming addicted,” Molly Stanton, Assistant Administrator for Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol, said.

The new effort is being funded with Opioid Settlement dollars. Children and parents get the help they need during recovery; this includes mental health treatment, stable housing, childcare, and transportation. It’s given people like Shook a new look at life.

“I chose to fight for my sobriety, fight for my kids, and I met people along the way who thought I was worth the fight too,” she said.

Efforts at Change on Hamilton are paying off, as Opioid overdose deaths declined from 37% in 2021 to 26% in 2026.

“These are people I knew that I represented when they were committing crimes when I was a criminal defense attorney,” Shook explained.

“I see them now, and they’re clean, and they’re sober, they’re reunited with their families,” says Holihan.

Recovered addict Amber Shook shared with 69 News what she’s doing now.

“I work in behavioral health, so I get to meet people where they’re at now. I get to do the same job for somebody else that somebody did for me, it’s full circle,” she explained.

Shook wants to see others take that step in their journey.

“My story is a pathway for somebody, so their story can be a pathway for somebody else along the way,” she said.