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Harm reduction, cooling supplies handed out in Chilliwack park

Flexible tubing, syringes, bubbles, and condoms handed out along with chicken wraps, water, socks
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Wendy Telford (in cap) chats with staff handing out supplies at the Harm Reduction Cooling event in Salish Park on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress)

A Harm Reduction Cooling event was held in Salish Park on Tuesday with supplies being handed out by Stólō Nation staff.

“We’re providing cooling supplies to the homeless and the addicted, to those who are in need,” said Cathy Finney of the Family Empowerment team from Stólō Service Agency. “We provide them with harm reduction supplies so they are able to use safely.”

Custom lengths of flexible tubing, syringes, glass pipes, bubbles, and condoms were handed out, as well as aluminum foil, portable ashtrays, sharps containers, gloves and sanitizer gel.

“Access to harm reduction supplies in Chilliwack is actually difficult,” Finney explained, adding that many service providers don’t have the means of supplying harm reduction tools that help reduce the physical harms associated with substance use.

As well as harm reduction, they also handed out chicken wraps, salad, bottled water, sun visors, baseball caps, flip-flops, socks, and underwear.

The team from Stólō sets up tables in the park every four to six weeks, each time with support from various service providers ranging from PCRS, to Ann Davis Transitional Society, or Fraser Health. Tuesday’s event had support from the First Nations Health Authority, as well as emergency doctor Dr. Marc Greidanus.

Funding for the event came from the Overdose Prevention and Education Network (OPEN), Finney said.

The event was much appreciated by those being helped freely and without judgement. One man said he had been clean for three weeks, and was only interested in the free food.

There needs to be more effort and attention paid to alleviate the suffering of those experiencing homelessness, mental illness and addictions, said one visitor.

“I love it!” said Wendy Telford of Chilliwack about the event in Salish Park. “This is community helping community. This is people sticking up for people.”

The “generosity, the heart, the openness and the inclusion” were the elements that impressed her the most about the cooling event.

RELATED: Rally outside courthouse in solidarity with Moms Stop the Harm

RELATED: PCRS started delivering harm reduction supplies during pandemic

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Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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