August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day, and Peer Connections Manitoba is working to bring attention to the issue. Community Peer Support Worker Eleanor Snitka says Peer Connections is participating in The Purple Chair Project.
"I've painted a chair purple and I'm going to take it to Under One Roof. I'm going to put our poster with it talking about the significance of Overdose Awareness Day, and that chair will always be there for people if they need."
The Purple Chair Project was started by a family in Rochester, who lost their son to a drug overdose. The chair is intended to sit empty to symbolize those who can't be present through their struggle with substance use disorder or the outcomes from it, including death.
Snitka talked about the origin of the project,
"So they set a chair aside, and they said there'll always be an empty chair in our house, so if anybody ever needs to come in, or use the chair, but at least, our chair will always be open for someone."
Snitka says that acceptance, inclusion, respect, and no judgment are all part of Peer Connections values.
"Sometimes there's more stuff going on in their life, that caused them or maybe they found out when they used something for the first time it made them feel kind of better, so I want people to know that we have to get rid of that stigma, and accept people for who they are, and be there when they're ready to get help."
Anyone looking for more information can reach out to Peer Connections at (431) 345-0353.
