PHOTOS: 4th annual 2 End The Stigma + CARITAS Community Day held in Colonial Heights
VENN
COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) -- The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on Sunday afternoon, aiming to raise awareness about substance use disorder.
The event was held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, at Fort Clifton Park in Colonial Heights, providing the available resources if you or a loved one struggles with a substance use disorder.
According to Jill Cichowicz, the event started due to her own personal experiences four years ago after she watched her parents search for rehabilitation centers in the Richmond region, as her twin brother, Scott, was struggling with opioid dependency -- fentanyl poising.
"It's like having insurance on your home. You don't want to look for a plan when the tree is falling on your house. You want to know what's available, what's out there, how you can help people," Cichowicz said. "More importantly, we're trying to end the stigma to normalize a need for help."
"With our partnership, what we've worked with is to end the stigma and raise awareness and get the word out about the resources that are available to our community," Benjamin Carr said, emphasizing ways to provide resources to help those struggling with addiction.
She explained that her family had "no knowledge about the disease or how to help someone who is in 'the throes of addiction.'"
With an emphasis on what she calls "power in numbers," Cichowicz said the event included training, speakers from 2 to 3 p.m., food trucks, balloon animals and more.
Continue scrolling to see photos from 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day.
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
The 4th annual 2 End The Stigma and CARITAS Community Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29, in Colonial Heights, providing awareness about substance abuse disorder. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)
