GEORGETOWN, Del. - La Red Health Center hosted its annual “La Red Goes Purple” event on Wednesday, drawing many of community members, advocates, and health professionals to shine a spotlight on substance use disorder (SUD) and the ongoing opioid crisis in Delaware.
The event brought together more than 50 local resource partners to offer support services ranging from medical and behavioral health care to housing, employment, and family assistance. Free Narcan kits and training were also available to attendees, underscoring the event’s focus on life-saving interventions.
"More people died from drug overdoses in our state than traffic accidents and suicides combined," said Rachel Hersh, CEO of La Red Health Center.
According to the 2024 Delaware Division of Forensic Science Annual Report, 338 Delawareans lost their lives to accidental overdoses last year making it the state’s second leading cause of death after natural causes.
Casey West, substance abuse counselor at La Red, says she’s in recovery herself and is now using her experience to guide others toward healing.
"I believe that it's what my purpose is," said West. "I was put here to help other people that were in the position that I was in a long time ago."
Throughout the day, attendees could speak with local organizations, access treatment information, and hear personal stories of resilience. The event emphasized that recovery is not just about stopping drug or alcohol use but about healing the person.
"Recovery changes people, it changes the whole trajectory of people’s lives," said West.
Breaking the stigma associated with addiction remains a central theme. Lisa Messina, representing Courageous Hearts, urged the community to consider the broader impact of substance use.
"Maybe it's not you, maybe it's not your kids, maybe it's their friends or your neighbors," Messina said. "Just be more aware of the bigger picture."
Taheli Nichols of Network Connect added that the bigger picture includes the trauma that often underlies addiction.
"On one side, it's all that other trauma and everything they’ve been through in life," Nichols explained. "And on the other hand, it’s everything they want to accomplish but don’t know how to actually do it."
A handful of different organizations share that La Red Goes Purple serves not only as a symbol of awareness but as a call to action to reach out, to listen, and to lift one another up.