By: Molly Balison
Word on the Street Issue 47, September 2024
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On Saturday, August 24, Interfaith Sanctuary guests trickled through the doors of the Phoenix Building for the #TogetherWeCan Community Overdose Awareness Event. Central District Health brought the idea to Interfaith Sanctuary to observe International Overdose Awareness day to provide a space to distribute resources, share stories and craft.
Guests described the event as an opportunity to have “fellowship”, “quality time” and “relaxing time” as they gathered around a table full of beads to string together bracelets and paint rocks to place in Corpus Christi’s memorial rock garden. Shyloh, a guest and contributing writer for Word on the Street said the event was “a safe space where I could express myself and make jewelry”.
The Phoenix Building, which stands as a part of Interfaith Sanctuary, hosts many programs such as Project Well Being, The Homeless Art Collective and Word on the Street’s Editorial Meeting.
The Phoenix is full of color and life, packed with easels and artwork by guests from the Homeless Art Collective. Posters containing words of affirmation and inspiration adorn the walls. Individuals sit in a circle on assorted sofas and share how they feel. Folks thumb through clothes at Street Chic Boutique in the corner of the room. It’s a space where recovery and healing takes place.
Nicki Vogel, the director of Project Well Being, facilitates meetings for the mental health program she started at Interfaith. With five years of experience, Vogel has witnessed the impact of having overdose resources available to people circulating through the Phoenix Building. She recounts four lives saved in the last year because of Narcan to prevent the life-threatening consequence of overdosing.
The CDC recorded “107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023 and is the leading injury-related cause of death in the United States.” The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said 381 Idaho residents, 103 of which were from Ada county, died from overdose in 2022.
Behind every drug use and overdose, there’s more to the story.
Substance use is often tangled in the web of mental health. “Having a mental health challenge can increase the likelihood of using substances to cope, and substances can impact the brain and increase the development of mental health issues.” Jessica Harris, the Overdose Prevention Program Coordinator for Central District Health said.
Harris helped organize the collaboration with Interfaith Sanctuary. She set up a table displaying Fentanyl testing kits, sharps containers and drug deactivation bags for distribution. Eight “overdue rescue kits” packaged in tactical paramedic bags and sixteen doses of Narcan(naloxone brand name) were handed out.
According to the most recent data available from 2023, there were 103 Ada county residents who died of overdose unrelated to suicide. This was a decrease in overdose death numbers and overdose rate compared to 2022.
We were grateful to see a reduction in overdose deaths, and hope this trend continues as we get more resources including education and Narcan into communities.” Harris said.
“I think the stigma really is that we tend to ignore the actual human being, and we’re looking at the problem and what they’re doing,” Vogel said. She points out that drug use and mental health struggles happen behind closed doors too, but the stigma is directed at those who are visibly struggling on the streets.
Stigma is dangerous because it may cause an individual to hide rather than seek help. The fear of being judged by those who aren’t knowledgeable about the gravity of drug use prevents people from being honest about their struggles.
“There’s a stigma across the board even in the recovery part of it,” said Greg Garbutt, an Interfaith guest. “I’ve heard from a lot of people in recovery that they don’t think people trust them in the process.”
Onlookers might assume that those in recovery from addiction are bound to relapse. It becomes harder for the one seeking an addiction free life to stay motivated with the trust or support from people around them.
Julie, a guest and contributing writer for Word on the Street who attended the Overdose Awareness Event said “overdose awareness is important because if you keep things in the dark, they crumble and die. If you bring them out in the open it brings new light on them and helps people understand what’s going on.”
The Phoenix Building is a refuge where people can bring their struggles into the light and seek help. Seeking a healthier life decreases the stigma. Taking a day to remember the lives lost to drug overdose and spreading awareness through education and resources is one step toward diminishing the overdose crisis.