Felicia Santarossa/Victoria B次元官网网址
An online fundraiser called the B次元官网网址淪afer Summer Party InitiativeB次元官网网址� aims to help secure valuable resources for harm reduction services offered by AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI).
Executive director Katrina Jensen, who has been working with AVI for 19 years, is grappling with the overdose crisis.
B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 seen anything like this since the early days of the AIDS crisis,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd in terms of the number of people who are dying, and the numbers of clients [receiving harm reduction support], the ongoing grief and trauma with our clients and our staff are really quite significant.B次元官网网址�
Support with overdose response has been requested by many groups of people, Jensen said. According to the groupB次元官网网址檚 fundraising page, funds put towards these educational resources are stretched very thin, something of which Jensen has firsthand knowledge.
B次元官网网址淛ust to give an example of how much the need has increased, in the whole of last year, we trained about 1,000 people within our existing resources. And this year in May alone, we trained more than 600 people, and thatB次元官网网址檚 with the same level of resources so with whatB次元官网网址檚 happening itB次元官网网址檚 really stretched.B次元官网网址�
Working with AVI allows Jensen satisfaction in being able to give back to the reeling community.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 working on an issue that is preventable, and as much as the overdose crisis continues to worsen, we know that overdose deaths are preventable. I feel really privileged to be able to work to do whatever we can to prevent overdoses and death in our community.
With so much stigma and shame around drug use, she added, itB次元官网网址檚 important that she do whatever she can to ensure people using substances in this community have access to good health care, get the support they want and are able to live their lives free of being criminalized.
The fundraiser runs now through Aug. 18. To donate or find out more information, visit or go directly to their crowdfunding page at .
