‘Remembering loved ones’: Tree of hope for overdose awareness in Kelowna, B.C. – Okanagan | 24CA News
Now that we’re into December, Christmas timber will quickly be seen throughout Kelowna, B.C.
Some of these timber can be doing greater than spreading vacation cheer. They may even be elevating consciousness on overdose and drug addictions.
Helen Jennens was one of many folks inserting a ball on a particular Christmas tree at Kelowna General Hospital. The ball had an image of her sons whom she misplaced to a drug overdose.
And she’s not the one one remembering family members.
“Someone has added both their mother and their brother to the tree. So people really recognize what it’s for and they honour their loved ones. One of the things we do is we try to keep our children’s names alive,” stated Helen Jennens, management membership of Moms Stop The Harm.
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Moms Stop the Harm put up the tree of hope, to boost consciousness about accidents and deaths associated to drug use.
“In a hospital, we get a lot of people coming and going that are very aware of the opioid crisis and are visiting people who are struggling with substance use,” stated Jennens.
“Anybody walking through this lobby if they’ve lost someone, a loved one, to substance harm can add a ball or wooden tags.”
Trees of hope may even be arrange at homeless shelters throughout Kelowna. They will function footage of family members, messages to people who have handed away and knowledge on how group help teams will help.
The Christmas timber are only one a part of the efforts being made to shed a lightweight on substance abuse.
“We need to end the stigma, addiction is a disease and people need to understand that. The best thing we can do is bring it more to the community to talk to the community and talk to our youth,” stated Pam Turgeon.
Pam Turgeon additionally misplaced her son to an overdose and says training surrounding drug dependancy wants to start at a youthful age.
That has impressed her to host a Parade with a Purpose. The parade can be a fundraiser for youth restoration centres throughout Kelowna.
“I believe that if we help the youth younger that maybe we can help with their addiction later and stop it completely,” Turgeon stated.
The parade will happen on Saturday, Dec. 3 in Kettle Valley at 6 p.m.
Turgeon says they’re hoping to achieve their $50,000 objective and have already raised over $30,000.
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