What’s happening?
The Lower Mainland Purpose Society’s Stride program is hosting New Westminster Community Dialogues: Overdose Crisis, which has been funded by the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. Community members are invited to attend the free community event and join the conversation.
Details, please:
The free event is taking place on Thursday, May 3 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Fraser River Discovery Centre, 788 Quayside Dr. Light refreshments will be provided at the event, which will feature a few information booths, short speeches by people including Mayor Jonathan Cote and a medical health officer, and a group discussion.
What is the purpose of the event?
The Purpose Society is hoping to engage with a wide swath of community members about the opioid crisis, with the aim of reducing stigma, challenging misconceptions and providing a venue for people to share their experiences and perspectives on the issue.
Logan Ansell, team leader of the Stride with Purpose program, said the event is a great opportunity for the whole community to come together to share their experiences and perspectives on the ongoing overdose crisis.
“It seems that everyone you speak with has been personally affected in one way or another by this issue,” Ansell said. “Dialogue can be a very effective means of reducing some of the stigma and social isolation that’s directly contributing to all of these unnecessary deaths. We have a lot of regular, everyday people in our city who use substances and may be at an increased risk for overdose because they aren’t able to talk to the people around them. These people are your neighbours, family members, friends or coworkers. We’re hoping this event will help to break down barriers, create understanding, and humanize the problem in a way that statistics simply can’t. We invite everybody who cares about the health of their community to come out and join us.”
What is the Stride program?
Stride with Purpose is a health program within the Lower Mainland Purpose Society that seeks to reduce harm from drug use, prevent illness, promote testing for HIV, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections, and promote healthy healing and addictions recovery.
I’m interested – do I need to register?
Seating is limited, so you must register at Eventbrite.ca (search for New Westminster Community Dialogue) or call 604-526-2522
