Photo: Contributed

The time to act is now.

On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the community is invited to come together to save lives and raise awareness of the ongoing opioid crisis.

The Upper Room Mission will be holding a special event to mark International Overdose Awareness Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In Vernon, 24 people died from fatal overdoses in 2018.

The reality is, without harm-reduction service options like naloxone, that number would have been higher.

In 2018, in Vernon, 923 naloxone kits were used to reverse opioid-related overdoses, saving hundreds of lives.

The Vernon International Overdose Awareness Day event is hosted by the Interior Health Authority and the Upper Room Mission.

The event will provide an opportunity for the greater community to learn more about the overdose crisis, how it is impacting communities across the country, and what is being done to fight back.

Dozens of community partners will be on hand to share information about what is being done in Vernon to combat the opioid crisis.

Learn more about the work being done in Greater Vernon by the social service agencies, health experts and community partners.

Learn how these agencies work together to support each other and the Greater Vernon community as a whole.

There will also be a free barbecue provided by Fix Auto and several prize draws.