Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, Faith and Community Leaders Host Weekend of Action to Help End Overdoses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202) 735-7123
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, (540) 280-3393
Blyth Barnow, bbarnow@faithinpubliclife.org, (440) 220-2090
Erica Poellot, poellot@harmreduction.org, (646) 660-1166
Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, Faith and Community Leaders Host Weekend of Action to Help End Overdoses
Columbus, Ohio — Beginning Thursday, August 20th, at 3 p.m. ET, faith and community leaders will kick off a three-day virtual weekend of faithful reflection, education and action as we build a harm-reduction movement to end overdose deaths and anti-blackness.
Hosted by Faith in Harm Reduction, Faith in Public Life, Urban Survivors and other partners, participants will learn about the white supremacist history of the “War on Drugs” and how to be faithful advocates in the fight to prevent all of the overdose deaths that we can.
Nearly 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. As COVID-19 continues, fewer and fewer resources have been devoted to ending overdoses in our communities. This weekend will give faith communities a time to honor those we’ve lost to the racist war on drugs and to assert that people who use drugs are loved by God, have agency and are worthy of care and respect.
WHAT: National Weekend Of Action: Mobilizing Faith To End Overdose And Anti-Blackness
WHEN:
Thursday, August 20th, 3:00 p.m. ET | Webinar/Panel
A conversation on Overdose Policy, Racial Justice and Liberation featuring speakers versed in the legal, spiritual, and intersectional justice dimensions of the work of harm reduction.
Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3fdX70z-RByD1MNTjFRr_w
Friday, August 21st, 6:00 p.m. ET | Service of Lament and Resistance
This Service of Lament and Resistance for lives lost to overdose and anti-blackness will create ritual space for mourning and invite participants to deeper action.
Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WxAEOYNoS-e98QjGd22khA
Saturday, August 22nd, 3:00 p.m. ET | Preach In & Teach In; Civic Engagement
This Preach-In and Teach-In will provide participants with civic engagement strategies to advance harm-reduction advocacy to end overdose and expand opportunities for liberation for people and communities impacted by overdose and anti-blackness.
Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IcvLypIPQAC7bBSsUAXA6w
WHO:
Faith Leaders and harm-reduction advocates
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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, we are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level. Our network of 50,000 leaders engage in bold moral action that affirms our values and the human dignity of all.