This story originally appeared on wric.com
Local organizations partnered up on Thursday for Save a Life Day — an event dedicated to equipping people and businesses with life-saving tools.
“All across the United States today, there are teams like ours in cities like this one, small towns, rural areas, all hosting events that are in favor of distribution of naloxone to save a life in the event of an opioid overdose,” said Robyn Hantelman, State Save a Life Day coordinator.
Richmond Ambulance Authority joined SAARA Recovery Center on Thursday, Sept. 24, to give businesses naloxone kits to keep on hand in case of overdose emergencies that could happen nearby.
Metro Sound & Music Co. was one of the businesses that received a kit as well as a tutorial on how to use it.
“It’s going to help the community. It’s going to help save lives,” said Tommy Williams, Assistant Manager at Metro Sound & Music Co. “Especially like, I know here in downtown Richmond, there’s a lot of homeless people, and I’m sure there’s a lot of problems that, you know, I don’t understand, but something like this is going to come in handy.”
Richmond residents can find naloxone and other free, helpful resources at harm reduction vending machines located at Marshall Plaza (900 E. Marshall Street) and Southside Plaza (4100 Hull Street).
“So, there are people who have received this before, in previous years from various sources here in the city, and now they know how to get some more, and they have a really nice way to display it and be able to jump in and not feel so helpless in the event of an overdose,” Hantelman said.
