Call to action team members Jen Metcalf, Nicole Rariden, and Dee Butler gave a presentation at the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting on August 21st. Jen Metcalf with Phoenix Wellness Center detailed how they are working to eradicate fentanyl in Lincoln County. She explained that they started out in June holding marches against drugs in the communities of Siletz and Toledo and they want to expand to all areas of Lincoln County. Metcalf reported that there have been back to back overdoses claiming lives of loved ones in our communities. "Within one week 7 children lost a parent due to fentanyl overdose. When we start loosing community members back to back, there is not enough time to mourn before another life is lost and we can't get our foot underneath us."
The community has been reaching out to Phoenix Wellness Center, Siletz behavioral health and more wanting change. As a result the call to action team was formed and Nicole started reaching out to the Siletz Valley school to provide support for students around the deaths that have happened in the community she did Narcan trainings and every student was given Narcan and trained how to use it.
Narcan can be adminstrated to someone who who is overdosing. Narcan is sprayed up the nose and knocks the opioid drug off brain receptors, restoring normal breathing, saving lives. Metalf said "People are tired! They are done and they want something done with those who are selling fentanyl. We are doing everything we can to provide education and help people in a non-judgemental way. We want to call people in not call people out."
On the last day of school in June they held a fentanyl eradication march in Siletz with over 200 people in attendance. She said they are taking a stand to eradicate fetanyl in our communities. As a result of that march Toledo Mayor Rod Cross reached out and scheduled two marches in Toledo with another one planned for the future.
The next gathering will be held on Saturday August 31st at Newport city hall lawn from 9:30-2. There will be T-shirts and sign handouts starting at 9:30. The day will include Siletz tribal drumming, a prayer, a proclamation by Mayor Kaplan, a silent witness presentation along with Narcan and polysubstance education, plus a solidarity stand to end overdose, with silouttes of those who have been lost.
At 6pm at the Yaquina Bay state park will be a overdose awareness memorial event. For more information go to the Phoenix Wellness Center facebook page. There are many partners who help to make the call to action team work including Siletz Valley school, Siletz tribal MAT program, Lincoln County Health and Human Services, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and Phoenix Wellness Center. We here at Oregon Coast Breaking News are also a partner in helping with this important work.
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