Gloves for Love raises substance use awareness

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This article was published 10/02/2023 (1201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Warming the hearts and hands of vulnerable people in Brandon is the motivation behind this year’s Gloves for Love campaign, organized by two advocacy and awareness groups.

For the second year in a row, the groups are actively looking for new or gently used gloves and mittens for people in need during the winter months in Brandon. Donating the items is a way for the community to give back, said Antoinette Gravel-Oullette, chairperson of Brandon and Area Overdose Awareness.

The event manifested naturally out of another campaign the awareness group organizes every fall called Socktober, during which socks are collected for people in need. Gravel-Oullette said she realized during Socktober 2021 that there was also a real desire for gloves and mitts during the winter — especially for unhoused people.

Brandon and Area Overdose Awareness joined forces with Moms Stop the Harm, an advocacy and awareness group that focuses on educating people about substance use and ending the stigma that comes with it. That group founded Healing Hearts Brandon, a bereavement group that exists to help those dealing with the grief of losing a loved one to drugs.

“We come together, and we just look at responding to the needs in the community in a way that we can,” Gravel-Oullette said.

There has always been a need in Brandon for more public awareness regarding the effects of substance use in the community, she added.

According to a provincial report released last year, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine were the most common causes of overdose deaths in Manitoba between January and December 2021.

Deaths caused by benzodiazepines increased from 2018 to 2021, while deaths from stimulants and opioids fell, the report stated. Death related to substance use was most common in men between the ages of 30 to 39. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority experienced the most substance-use-related deaths per capita.

A lot of stigma remains when it comes to substance use, both for people who are affected by it personally and those who have loved ones who struggle or who have died because of it, said Katie Smith with Moms Stop the Harm.

The Gloves for Love campaign is not only a way to do good in the community, but to raise awareness and educate others about the issue.

“I think it’s really about using our voice for good and also supporting those in need as well, creating connections and support in our community,” Smith said.

The Healing Hearts bereavement group meets once a month. It’s a safe place where people can grieve and get understanding from others who can relate to what they’ve experienced.

“It’s really important to grieve together. There’s a power in that,” Smith said. “I think connection around that is really important.”

Smith encourages anyone who wants to join the group to email healingheartsbrandon@gmail.com. To donate gloves or mitts to the Gloves for Love Campaign, drop off the new or gently used items at Swiss Chalet, FunTime Pottery, Knox United Church, the Brandon Regional Health Centre, Prairie Hope High School and Montana’s restaurant.

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