MSTH Virtual Annual General Meeting June 5, 2021

The Moms Stop The Harm Board of Directors cordially invites you to join our virtual Annual General Meeting and Business meeting on Saturday, June 5, 2021, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (PST) via Zoom.

Our keynote speaker this year is Guy Felicella. He speaks from his lived experience with substance use and his journey to recovery. He works as a Peer Clinical Advisor at the BC Centre on Substance Use and is a fierce advocate for harm reduction and a safer supply. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and three children.

Date and Time: June 5 at 10 Pacific Daylight Time via Zoom

To Register please click here

Agenda: More detailed agenda available here:

1. Call to order - Board Chair Leslie McBain

2. Land acknowledgement - Leslie McBain

3. Greetings from our Board Chair Leslie McBain

4. Keynote speaker - Guy Felicella -- What is Safe[r] Supply and why we urgently need it?

5. Approval of the agenda

6. Approval of the minutes from the last virtual AGM held on May 30, 2020.

7. Financial Reports presented by MSTH treasurer Annie Storie

8. Acknowledgement of outgoing Board Members Helen Jennens and Sheila Jennings (Leslie, Petra)

9. Introduction of Board of Directors and Board Candidates 2021

10. Election of the Board of Directors for the MSTH Society

11. Our Position on Decriminalization - Board vice-chair Petra Schulz

12. News for 2021 - Stronger Together projects, planned actions and more

13. Member check-in (depending on time and numbers)

14. Closing remarks from the Board Chair - Leslie McBain

Bereaved Mother's Day Concert with Jill Cooper

MOMS STOP THE HARM invites you to take a small break and enjoy an hour of music that soothes the heart on Bereaved Mother’s Day.

We will come together to celebrate our connection, our children and our hope for the future. We will have music performed by award-winning singer, guitarist, violinist, Jill Cooper. Jill wows audiences with her passion and emotion behind each song she sings and loves that music can bring people together in good and bad times. Jill has released 3 original albums and performed as a solo artist across Canada and the US.

COST: Free, but if you wish and you are able you can make a donation to Moms Stop The Harm

EVENT LOCATION: www.facebook.com/MomsStopTheHarm (Instructions: Click “Going” on this event to see a notification on Facebook when the Event is live.

DATE 7 TIME: May 2, 2021 at 4 pm Pacific Daylight Time on #InternationalBereavedMothersDay

”Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near.”

Feel free to contact info@momsstoptheharm.com for further information.

Supervised Consumption 101

May 8, 10 am Pacific via Zoom

With Jason Mercredi, Executive Director at Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon

Moderated by MSTH Regional Director for Saskatchewan Marie Agioritis

Jason will share his experience in setting up a supervised consumption site. What it takes, what are the challenges, who are your allies and how can families support these vital health services.

The Prairie Harm Reduction consumption service is the first and only location in Saskatchewan and operates with full federal approval but entirely without provincial funding, being twice denied operating funds. Instead, the agency operates supported by fundraising activities, including their must-have t-shirt, mugs and blankets.

This event is open to MSTH members and guests and will be recorded.

Effective media interviews and working with journalists

When: Saturday, April 10, 2021. 10 am - 11 am Pacific

Please click here to register on Zoom

Presented by: Communications Consultant, Andy Watson

Please join Moms Stop the Harm for an interactive presentation and discussion on how to navigate media interviews and work with journalists.

Andy Watson is a Communications Consultant, a former journalist and the former Manager of Strategic Communications with the BC Coroners Service. Through his career he has conducted thousands of interviews, learning each time about best practices. Andy now manages government and media relations at WorkSafeBC. Part of his role is to train spokespeople to work effectively with media. Andy is a candidate to join our board and is now offering his experience, skills and lessons learned to our MSTH membership.

During this webinar participants will learn the following - how to prepare for interviews, interview do’s and don’ts, how to write and distribute press releases, social media best practices, how to work with your community media related to access/balance (corrections), and how to work with citizen journalists. Andy will also cover the right of reply opportunities, such as letters to the editor, opinion and editorial pieces.

If you have never done a media interview and are not sure if you can do it, this presentation is for you! Our stories are transformative. They open hearts and open hearts open minds to the facts and the science.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best.

5th Anniversary of the Declaration of the BC Public Health Emergency

British Columbians will be marking the 5th Anniversary of the declaration of the BC Public Health Emergency on Wednesday, April 14th, 2021.

If you would like to take help mark this important anniversary please see the list of suggested actions below or email strongertogether@momsstoptheharm.com for a list.

It is difficult to accept that five years have passed and over this time period there has been a startling lack of urgent response to this declared emergency by the BC provincial government. The number of toxic drug deaths has risen dramatically instead of declined.

Here are some facts!

• 7000+ people have died since the Public Health Emergency Declaration in 2016

• 5.3 people are dying per day in BC

• there is now a measurable decrease in life expectancy at birth due to the overdose crisis (Statistics Canada)

• 2020 recorded the highest rate of deaths in one year (1,716)

• 80% of deaths occurred inside (private residences and other facilities)

• In 2020 there was a 75% jump in annual overdose deaths

• Illicit drug toxicity death rates among 19+ years have remained high

(BC Coroners Service)

The BC government is still delaying the implementation of evidence-based supports such as providing safe pharmaceutical alternatives to toxic street drugs, known as Safe Supply, to support people and dramatically reduce deaths. Moms Stop The Harm invites you to mark this important date by letting our provincial government know that it is completely unacceptable that people continue to die from the toxic supply of illicit drugs.

Co-Founder, Moms Stop The Harm - Leslie McBain

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Suggested Actions for April 14, 2021 - 5th anniversary

Create social media message with a photo collage

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Here is a great opportunity to invite local MSTH advocates, family and friends to participate in a social media message for this day of action. You can download a free collage software program called “Canva'' and create strong visual messages utilizing one of the statements below or creating your own 9, 12 or 16-word message. Visit https://www.canva.com

This example was created for the last federal election. It is a COVID-19 friendly activity. Send each team member the phrase, assign each a word and have the photo sent back to you.

Before you post your collage to social media on April 14, 2021, please email your collage to strongertogether@momsstoptheharm.com.

Suggested phrases for your collage:

BAD/DRUG/POLICIES/AND STIGMA/EQUALS/THE/WORST/OVERDOSE/HEALTH/CRISIS/EVER/IN BC/SAFE SUPPLY/NOW!/CITY____***MSTH website

OUR/LOVED/ONES/DIE/WHILE/YOU/CONTINUE/TO TALK/HOW/MANY/DEATHS/DOES/IT TAKE/TO ENACT/ CHANGE ***MSTH website

NOT/ONE/MORE/DEATH/GRIEVING/HEARTS/OVERDOSE!/BC/NEEDS/SAFE/SUPPLY/DECRIM/DO/SOMETHING/NOW***MSTH website

PUBLIC/HEALTH/EMERGENCY/7000/DEATHS/IN/FIVE YEARS/HOW/MANY/HAVE/TO DIE?/SAVE/OUR/  LOVED/ONES***MSTH website

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COVID friendly Demonstrations and Day of Action on the 14th

Moms Stop The Harm members are invited to organize COVID safe gatherings where participants can display signage marking the significance of the day! Suggestions of where to gather include:  main intersections, local government offices, constituency offices and highway overpasses.

Examples of wording for your signage! 

• 7000+ BC Residents died due to failed drug policies

• 1716 British Columbians killed in 2020

• Five years into a Toxic Drug Supply!

• 5 years into a BC Public Health Emergency

• Mom’s Stop The Harm Asks:  What’s THE PLAN, John Horgan?

• Moms Stop The Harm demands an end to the deaths!

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Write a letter or speak to your MLA

We cannot be understated the value of sharing your story with decision-makers. We encourage you to write letters and share your story to advocate for change. 

Instead of writing a letter, you can also book an appointment with your MLA. If you lost a loved one, bring their photo to the meeting and tell their story

See the contact information below.

• Minister of Mental Health & Addictions @ sheila.malcolmson.MLA@leg.bc.ca

• Premier Horgan @premier@gov.bc.ca

• Min. of Health Dix @adrian.dix.MLA@leg.bc.ca

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Whatever you do, make sure your voice is heard on this anniversary date of the declaration of the overdose crisis as a public health emergency.