BETHLEHEM, PA–From July 14-Aug. 7, the nonprofit Speak Up for Ben is inviting the community to submit photos of family and friends who have lost their battles with opioids and other substances as part of the “Angels of the Valley” banner project, presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network. 

Angels of the Valley  is designed to raise awareness of the issues of drug overdose and reduce the stigma associated with people who have lost their battles with the disease of substance use disorder. The project also recognizes the grief felt by families and friends in the community who have lost loved ones as a result of drug use. Banners will be displayed on the SteelStacks campus from Aug. 31 through the end of September, which is National Recovery Month. 

Angels of the Valley featured close to 50 images on the SteelStacks campus in 2019. Individuals who want to submit photos for this year can fill out the online form. Submissions should include victim’s name, hometown, birth and death years and an up-to-two-line memorial remembrance (Ex: Beloved Son, College Graduate, Advocate for the Arts).

Founded in 2016, Speak Up for Ben is a local nonprofit focused on destigmatizing the disease of addiction. Through compassion and understanding of the family disease of addiction, the group seeks to provide education, support, comfort and healing to people who are at risk for, experiencing or recovering from Substance Use Disorder, as well as their families and the families of those who have lost their battles. This is accomplished through educational forums, community events and by providing supportive programming through the OASIS Community Center in Bethlehem. For more information, visit speakupforben.org/.

Information provided to TVL on behalf of Speak Up for Ben, Inc. by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/

 

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