Current Events
FORMING TEAM WE LIVE ON !
We are calling on volunteers who are interested in healing and service! Open to anybody who has experienced loss, hardship, loneliness, or depression - in other words - open to EVERYONE. We want to partner with you in our movement to experience connection and healing for ourselves, while making our community a better place! be sending out more information through mailings, email, and social media in the next month. Also please come and meet us at The Junior League's Volunteer Expo on February 29, 2020 at the Crowne Plaza in Asheville from 10-3. We are looking for people who are compassionate and non-judgmental.
Narcan/Naloxone Distribution
We now have naloxone (brand name - Narcan) to give to anyone who requests it. Naloxone is an overdose reversal drug that is to be administered to someone who is unresponsive, and suspected of overdosing on opioids. The current state of recreational street drugs is such that IT CANNOT BE GUARANTEED that anything does not contain FENTANYL - a very potent opioid that is being mixed with not only heroin, but also with cocaine and methamphetamine. There are reports of fentanyl being pressed into fake Xanax bars, as well. See the article "5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FENTANYL RIGHT NOW." We believe that ANYONE who is using recreational drugs, or has friends or family that use, or are in danger of using (most teenagers will try some illicit substance at least once) should keep naloxone and know how to administer it. Please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to give you naloxone, and teach you how to administer it. We have intramuscular injection type AND the easier to administer nasal Narcan. Contact Susan at sudoward@gmail.com or call 828-242-7524. No questions asked always discreet.
Past Events
AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk
October 6, 2019
This annual walk sponsored by the AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) was held in Carrier Park in Asheville on October 6, 2019. Its purpose is to bring attention of the greater community to the far too common tragedy of suicide, and to help to break the stigma associated with this subject. This event served to get information out into the public in order to address the issue, and halt the increase of suicides that we are seeing occur in the last decade. It also was an opportunity for survivors of suicide loss to gather together for support. We Live On helped with planning this event, and collected donations that went toward AFSP programs for education, research, and advocacy. A big thank you to Auto Advantage, who gave a corporate Sponsorship donation of $500, and to all of the people who donated and walked with us!
International Overdose Awareness Day
August 31, 2019
On Saturday, August 31 there was an event in Carrier Park in Asheville to honor those we have lost to overdose. The event included a memorial wall, a community meal, speakers, music and memorial crafts, and culminated in a candlelight vigil honoring our lost loved ones. We Live On is joined several non profit groups in helping to plan this event, which was spearheaded by Seek Healing. We also had a table, along with several other organizations, where we displayed personalized memorial candles for mourners, and distributed informational materials and Narcan for parents/caregivers who have loved ones using opioids.
NAMI Mental Health
Wellness Walk - June 15, 2019
We Live On participated in the annual NAMI Western Carolina (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Wellness Walk on June 15. We were able to meet with many interesting people, and talk about the various resources positive for mental health. The Walk raised money for local programs for families and individuals touched by mental illness.
Suicide Intervention Training
May 18, 2019
We Live On, Inc and Red Oak Recovery co-sponsored a suicide intervention training workshop on Saturday, May 18 at the Skyland-South Buncombe Library Community Room. Bob Cummings, taught us a method of peer suicide prevention known as "QPR", which stands for "Question", "Persuade", "Refer". We certainly enjoyed Bob's insights and I think all the participants learned some valuable techniques. For more information of QPR click on this link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-recovery-coach/201802/how-using-qpr-can-prevent-suicides
Bob Cummings is the Recruitment and Training Manager at Red Oak Recovery in Asheville. Bob has worked in the substance abuse treatment and substance abuse prevention field for over 30 years and is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Consultant and a Wilderness EMT,
Congratulations Joe Nuckolls Winner of Our
Raffle Drawing $100 Gift Card
We couldn't be more pleased to announce Joe Nuckolls as the winner of our first Fund Raising Raffle! Joe won the $100 Amazon gift card in our drawing on April 1, 2019. We gladly agreed to change to a Visa gift card. Why? Because Joe uses these funds on his ministry with prisoners every week! We are so happy to be giving to someone who gives back so unselfishly to the community! We made around $200 from the raffle. Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket to support our causes! We purchased the materials for the Suicide Intervention Workshop on May 18th with that money. Thanks again!
Promoting NC Good Samaritan Law
On February 6, 2019 Susan had the opportunity to join 3 AWESOME mothers who had lost their children tragically in situations that involved drug use or alcohol. Just like in the case of our son, Tom, these family losses could have been prevented had someone called 911. Many people (especially teenagers) are unaware that in NC the law protects the victim and caller against prosecution for possession of drugs and paraphernalia. The law was enacted to save the lives of people who are experiencing overdose and need to have emergency life-saving care. Tessie Castillo and Virgil Hayes with the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) arranged the meetings and we were able to talk to several members of the House and Senate to advocate for strengthening and promoting the Good Samaritan Law.
Tessie Castillo, Julie Cummins, Susan Ward, Pam Schulze, Mary O'Donnell, Virgil Hayes
Read More About Mary and Julie's Story
Mary O'Donnell and Julie Cummings were instrumental in getting funding in their county (Chatham County) for a PSA ad to bring awareness of The Good Samaritan Law to their community. They both lost their sons, who were good friends with each other, and in both cases, they could have been saved, but the young people they were with were too afraid of getting in trouble. The Moms have gone to the public schools, telling their stories, and encouraging people to "Be Kind- Leave No One Behind", as they explain the law, and hand out bracelets with that mantra. The bracelets also say "GOOD SAMARITAN 911, and "In honor of Sean O'Donnell and Boone Cummins" - their sons. Tessie Castillo, a writer who has served as the Advocacy and Communications Consultant for NCHRC for 8 years, wrote an excellent article about these moms. You can read about them here: