Appalachian Save A Life Day: September 14, 2023

Appalachian Save a Life Day - www.savealifeappalachia.org

Last year, SOAR WV helped plan West Virginia’s largest ever statewide Save a Life Day, with over 180 sites giving out naloxone in all of WV’s 55 counties. This year, they are hoping to expand and work with partners throughout the region to offer free naloxone across Appalachia.This year’s Save a Life Day will be September 14th, 2023!

Definitions of Appalachia vary almost as much as the region itself. We're going with the Appalachian Regional Commission's definition here. So far: 123 counties across 11 states are on the map for Appalachian Save a Life Day - OH, KY, TN, PA, NC, VA, MS, SC, MD, NY, and WV, AL, and GA. This means ALL THIRTEEN Appalachian states are participating.

South Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (SCHRC) is the South Carolina contact for Save A Life Day in our state. Our hope is two fold:

(1) To spread the word about Save A Life Day to get as many community organizations and partners to participate and host events where naloxone and/or narcan kits are available for distribution. These events can include other harm reduction resources as well as non-stigmatizing educational opportunities.

(2) To ensure community members know where Save A Life Day events are being held so they can participate and learn information or obtain life saving harm reduction resources.

Individuals/organizations who participate will plan an event in their area.  SOAR WV can provide you support (as can SCHRC) in terms of:

(1) Best practices for recruiting sites and training volunteers

(2) Growing community of support. 

(3) Invitation to participate in monthly planning calls with organizers from across Appalachia.

(4) Have your events advertised on social media and in press releases by both SOAR WV and SCHRC.

If you would like to have a conversation about what partnering for the first Appalachian Save a Life Day could look like (and how SOAR WV can help), please contact South Carolina’s Appalachian Save a Life Day Coordinator, Rollie Martinson at  rmartinson@communityeducationgroup.org