This Saturday, August 31st, is International Overdose Awareness Day, and we’re taking this opportunity to shine a light on our year-round commitment to supporting those at risk.
Dan’s Legacy was founded in memory of a vibrant, kind and compassionate young man who was a victim of sexual assault. He turned to drugs to numb the trauma of the experience, and tragically, on the morning of August 27, 2006, his mother found him unresponsive from an accidental overdose. He was only 19.
Later that same year, Dan’s family created “Dan’s Legacy” in his memory, with the aim of ensuring other youth dealing with mental health and addictions issues had access to the kind of trauma-informed and age-appropriate counselling support that might have saved Dan.
“He loved fishing, enjoyed cooking incredible food & always wanted to make others happy. Shirt off his back to anyone in need; always made people feel welcome & comfortable; would spend time speaking with homeless & helping in any way he could.” – Dan’s Family
To further honour his memory, we are creating a memorial wall in our office highlighting Dan’s story and his values that inspire all of us who work here, as well let our clients know who this remarkable young man was. It will be one of the first things people see as they enter our office and will serve as a great reminder of what we do and why we do it.
You can read more about Dan’s story here.
WHAT WE DO
Harm reduction programs are critical to saving lives, but we’re getting ahead of the issue with our focus on harm prevention. It’s the difference between rescuing people who are drowning in a river, and moving upstream to stop them from jumping off the bridge in the first place.
Over the past year, we have seen a sizable reduction in serious addiction issues among our clients from 25% to just 5%. While there are many factors at play contributing to this statistic, we believe that our focus on upstream interventions, and addressing trauma as a root cause of maladaptive behaviours, has helped significantly.
We’ve found that addiction often stems from unresolved trauma, and so by addressing these underlying issues, we stand a better chance at preventing substance use disorders before they can take hold.
This is done with effective trauma informed counselling and various wrap-around services like our Fitness Program, our Grocery Hamper Program, and our Indigenous Cultural Workshops.
Beyond this, we also offer job-skills training programs. Youth in these programs are between the ages of 15 and 26, and the skills they learn prepare them for full-time employment. These programs are all clinically supported by the aforementioned counselling and wrap-around programs, ensuring the youth can maintain their employment and mental health stability.
Currently, we offer three programs, each catering to different aspects of the food service and logistics industry, providing comprehensive training that equips participants with practical skills and work experience.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
There are many ways you can provide support, the most important being letting at-risk youth know that Dan’s Legacy exists. All of our programs and services are offered free of charge, and youth can self-refer here.
If you are interested in getting involved with Dan’s Legacy as a volunteer, donor, or community ambassador, please reach out at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.