NewCanaaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) to the editor. Please email letters to editor@newcanaanite.com for publication here.
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To the Editor,
I would like to invite and encourage our community to attend the 7th Annual Community Addiction Awareness Vigil held by the New Canaan Parent Support Group (NCPSG) on Wednesday evening, August 30th. If you’ve been to the vigil before, you know it is a truly memorable event, gathering a wide cross-section of our community to increase awareness of addiction and overdose. To witness people of different ages, histories and faiths joining together to address an ever-increasing trend is truly awe-inspiring.
Personally, I have been fortunate to be part of the New Canaan Community Foundation’s Behavioral Health Committee since its inception almost four years ago. It has been our mission to increase awareness and reduce the stigma around behavioral health challenges. Additionally, my work as a volunteer for New Canaan EMS has offered me a front-and-center view of just how these challenges impact our community in a personal way. It’s clear that the pandemic led to a surge in mental health crises that has far surpassed available resources. The Parent Support Group’s annual vigil sheds light on this growing need, and I urge you to join me with your support.
The Community Foundation has been a proud co-sponsor of the Vigil since its first year in 2017. Coordinated by the NCPSG, a team of dedicated volunteers plan for months to ensure each vigil highlights important stories, offers resources, and serves as a special setting to both remember people lost too soon and inspire hope for others on their own journeys. This year’s theme – Family Empowers Recovery – highlights the fact that recovery is a process involving the whole family and will resonate with many of all ages who attend.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to feel the energy, love and connection at the Vigil, which takes place at the Pop-up Park space at the intersection of Elm Street and South Avenue – it’s an event everyone in our town should experience! I hope to see you there on August 30th at 7pm.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Harrison
Chair, Community Investments Committee
New Canaan Community Foundation