Editor:
Re: ‘Businesses Struggle with Undesirables’, Nov. 4
The Tides of Change Community Action Team on Overdose Prevention and Response has received grants from the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation and the Community Action Initiative to develop a Peer Support Network.
It will offer a sense of community and support to people who are experiencing homelessness and/or are using substances that may carry risk of various harms to them and those around them.
It is our intention for this network to form a Community Outreach Team that will meet people where they are at in their lives and offer relationship, compassionate connection, harm reduction supplies and, for those who are open to it, navigation of our social and health care services that can support their preferred lives.
We are committed to engaging people who have experienced painful histories and considerable marginalization with the knowledge that in doing so, it will also be helping to address the legitimate concerns being expressed by local businesses and the growing community of White Rock/South Surrey.
We hope that our team of people with lived experience may become a trusted resource that the community can reach out to when encountering people who are experiencing challenges. Sources Substance Use Services is also available to provide counselling and support to anyone who is concerned for their own or someone else’s substance use.
George Passmore, White Rock