Overdose Awareness Event Held at Heritage Port in Wheeling
Derek Redd Trending
WHEELING -- More than a dozen people spoke of love, loss and the memories of those who left before their time at an overdose awareness event held at Heritage Port Wednesday afternoon.
"Voices of Hope," part of national Overdose Awareness Day, saw many people, the friends, relatives and loved ones of those who had died of an overdose share their memories, names and stories. The event also held dozens of photos of the faces of locals who died of an overdose, alongside hundreds more of those who died nationwide.
John Moses, former executive director of Youth Services System Inc., was among the first to speak. Moses recalled a friend, who he called "Carmilla," whose memory he held onto. Moses recounted how he met, befriended, and watched Carmilla's life pass by.
"In retrospect, my offer to help (her) must have had some significance, because she would come back and visit," Moses said. "On one of those visits, she revealed that she had been in a church choir as a kid, and belted out a beautiful, spine-tingling rendition of 'Amazing Grace.'
"All these encounters over many months were unexpected. When I think of them and try to make sense of them, I've resolved that they're like small pieces of colored glass that come together in a kaleidoscope, that explains the ever-changing complexity and beauty of a life."
Moses quoted Thomas Merton, a monk, poet, writer and social activist, in his exhortation to support all those in need.
"Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy," Merton wrote, and Moses said. "In fact, it's nobody's business. What we are asked to do is love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy."
Following Moses was Susan Brossman, who spoke of her friend Doug Wasseman, who died in August 2021. Wasseman had lost his mother to alcohol addiction when he was 8, and had been a heroin addict for around 25 years when he met Brossman.
The two remained close friends while he underwent rehabilitation, and Brossman spoke of her ongoing love for him. Brossman is the founder of Street MOMs, a community outreach initiative aimed to help meet the needs of the homeless.
"Along the way, we built a really, really important relationship with Doug, and it's a relationship I'll treasure for my entire life," she said. "We've done that with so many other people, and we understand how important that relationship-building is. Like John said, we love you because we love you because we love you. That's the end of it."
The Wednesday event was hosted by the YWCA, as well as others, including the Unity Center, BreakThru, YSS and West Virginia Northern Community College.
"We're putting a face to (addiction and overdose)," said Laura Albertini-Weigel, YMCA program director for Women Inspired in New Directions. "It's your neighbor, it's your co-worker, it's your church, it's everywhere in our community. We want to deal with the stigma, ... and celebrate the individuals, because every one of them stood for something."
The event included numerous resources to assist those struggling, including fentanyl test strips and several points of contact for support and assistance programs.
"There's always a way out. There is hope," she said. "There's opportunities. We have an eight-week support group for individuals and families who are struggling and want to look for direction and get assistance."
Families Strong, which offers support groups for families and friends of those struggling with substance abuse disorder, can be reached at 304-232-0511. Save A Life Day will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 8, where training and doses of Narcan will be provided at several locations, including near the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center on 18th Street in Wheeling.