Stoneham Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Community

08/26/2026

🌱 Recovery is possible.

Overdose Awareness Month isn't only about remembering what we've lost.

It's also about celebrating the people who are still here.

The person taking another step.
The family rebuilding trust.
The friend asking for help.
The person celebrating another day in recovery.

Every step matters.

Every recovery story matters.

Every life matters.

💜 There is hope. There is help. There is a future.

08/25/2026

August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day. Join us in solemn remembrance by placing a lighted candle candle on your porch next Monday evening. We will light a candle on the Town Common that night as well.

08/25/2026

🟣 Stigma can be deadly. Compassion can save lives.

Words matter.

When someone is struggling with substance use, they don't need to be labeled, judged, or shamed.

They need to know:

“I'm here.”
“You matter.”
“Help is available.”
“Let's find a way forward.”

This August, let's choose compassion over judgment and connection over stigma.

Recovery starts with hope.

08/24/2026

🚨 Know the signs of an opioid overdose.

Someone experiencing an overdose may:

• Be unable to wake up
• Have slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
• Make unusual choking or gurgling sounds
• Have very small pupils
• Have pale, blue, or gray skin, lips, or fingernails

If you suspect an overdose:

📞 Call 911.
💜 Give naloxone if available.
🫶 Stay with the person and follow emergency dispatcher instructions.

Knowing what to do can turn a moment of crisis into a chance for survival.

08/21/2026

💜 Addiction is not a moral failure.

Substance use disorder is a complex health condition — not a character flaw.

Judgment and stigma can keep people from asking for help.

Compassion can open the door.

If someone you love is struggling, remind them:

You are not alone.
You are not your past.
You deserve support.
Recovery is possible.

Let's create a community where asking for help is met with understanding, not shame.

08/19/2026

💜 Carry naloxone. You could save a life. Narcan is available for free at the Stoneham Board of Health office. See Becca Lewis, prevention coordinator.

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

You don't have to be a medical professional to learn how to use it.

Knowing the signs of an overdose, calling for emergency help, and having naloxone available can make a critical difference.

Be prepared. Carry Narcan. Save a life.

08/19/2026

This event will be held on the steps of the Malden Senior Center.

PLEASE NOTE VENUE CHANGE

💜International Overdose Awareness Day💜
Please join us for our annual Overdose Awareness Vigil as we honor those we have lost to overdose.
📅 Monday, August 31, 2026
🕠 5:45 PM — Front steps of the Malden Senior Center, 7 Washington St, Malden
A memorial walk will follow to the Walkway at Malden City Hall.
Presented by Malden Overcoming Addiction & The Bridge Recovery Center, and sponsored by the City of Malden.
💜 Honor a loved one: Submit a name (and photo, optional) to be included by August 21, 2026 — email [email protected]
Already submitted a name? No need to resubmit. To remove someone from the memorial video, please email us.
Come stand with us as we remember, grieve, and continue the fight against this disease together.

08/18/2026

The Bridge Recovery Center and Malden Overcoming Addiction invite everyone to leap back in time on August 22 with their 70s, 80s & 90s Decades Party!

08/17/2026

🕯️ We remember. We honor. We grieve.

During Overdose Awareness Month, we hold space for everyone who has lost a loved one to overdose.

Every person lost had a story.
Every family affected carries a story.
Every life mattered.

Today, we remember those who are no longer with us and stand with the families, friends, and communities left behind.

May remembrance inspire compassion, action, and hope.

🟣 Gone but never forgotten.