The South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) unveiled its new memorial this past Friday, a copper structure located at the west side of the building featuring drawings and engravings honouring those who died as a result--direct or otherwise--of drug use, and the staff who worked with them to try to help them through.
The monument is the first of its kind in North America and comes at a time when the continent is mourning the loss of Cory Monteith, a young Canadian actor famous for his role on Glee, who died two weeks ago as a result of mixing heroin and alcohol. It is designed to bring drug use "out of the shadows."
"I like to think of this monument as storing up enough beauty to keep us hopeful in times of calamity and times of despair," said Kate Kenny, a former memorial project coordinator at the SRCHC, in an article that appeared on Rabble. "An amazing symbol of strength and courage which will live on for a very long time in this community."
SRCHC staff and volunteers have been meeting to discuss the creation of the memorial since mid-2010. When the memorial was finally unveiled, it featured 79 names, with many more that have yet to be added.
The original article included some eye-opening stats. "Between 2006 and 2008, there were 2,330 drug-related deaths in Ontario. In 2010, somewhere between 90,000 and 250,000 worldwide."
The memorial was unveiled the day before International Drug User Memorial Day, a day that ensures "those who died of drug overdoses, hepatitis C, HIV, violence and poverty are remembered."
The SRCHC was also one of the recipients of American publication
Gawker's
recent Indiegogo campaign, which was designed to crowdfund enough money to purchase the infamous tape allegedly showing Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack. When Gawker was unable to track down the tape, the publication agreed to its original plan to give the money to Canadian charities working to help those with substance abuse issues.
South Riverdale, along with three other charities, will receive $46,195.65 U.S. as a result of the campaign.
Read the full story
here.
Original Source: Rabble