A Kelowna teen香蕉视频直播檚 recent overdose death is opening eyes about youth drug use and prompting change in the local harm reduction network.

香蕉视频直播淲e all loved Chelsea (Christianson),香蕉视频直播� said Angie Lohr, the face of HOPE Outreach, an organization whose volunteers hit Kelowna streets nightly, handing out care packages and harm reduction kits to the street-entrenched population.

Through that work she and her volunteers got to know the 17-year-old who fatally overdosed March 19, taking what she believed to be heroin. She was bright, friendly and clearly in need of some help.

香蕉视频直播淲hen we heard she died 香蕉视频直播� it was really hard on all of us,香蕉视频直播� Lohr said. 香蕉视频直播淪he was such an amazing girl.香蕉视频直播�

Lohr, who battled her own addiction issues and recently lost her daughter to a fentanyl overdose in the Lower Mainland, said it香蕉视频直播檚 a tragic turn of events that will only be repeated unless something changes 香蕉视频直播� change she intends to contribute to.

香蕉视频直播淭here are so many kids in this on the streets香蕉视频直播� if they can香蕉视频直播檛 find a place to go they香蕉视频直播檙e not going to get better,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e going to lose a whole generation.香蕉视频直播�

Youth drug use

Although there are four youth detox beds set to open in Kelowna in the next month, drug use in that demographic does not get much notice in the ongoing conversations about the fentanyl crisis.

In part, it香蕉视频直播檚 because the numbers don香蕉视频直播檛 support it.

Recent statistics from the BC Ministry of Health show that four out of five overdose deaths were men and more than half were between the ages of 30 and 49.

It香蕉视频直播檚 also an uncomfortable topic.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of people don香蕉视频直播檛 want to talk about the idea of a 14-year-old injecting themselves with drugs, but they do,香蕉视频直播� said Interior Health香蕉视频直播檚 Dr. Trevor Corneil, Tuesday.

香蕉视频直播淭hat is a big first step for the public; acknowledging that the situation occurs. Once you recognize that gap exists of how to respond to that issue, you can start to work on providing services to address it.香蕉视频直播�

Dealing with children addicted to drugs, he explained, can also be a struggle because there are so many organizations to navigate.

香蕉视频直播淥ne of the difficulties, although it can be thought of as both a positive and negative, is that there are three different government ministries香蕉视频直播攅ducation, health and families香蕉视频直播攄ealing with this issue on respective levels, so they all have to come together in creating integrated solutions to help fill those gaps that exist,香蕉视频直播� Corneil said.

Lohr doesn香蕉视频直播檛 see the positive side of this bureaucracy so she香蕉视频直播檚 forging ahead with another plan that香蕉视频直播檚 focused specifically on adult women, but could also help teens in need of finding a safe place before getting off drugs.

House of Hope

香蕉视频直播淵ou know what, when Chelsea died I decided then, I香蕉视频直播檓 on a mission. I香蕉视频直播檓 not going to see one more woman die on the streets,香蕉视频直播� Lohr said.

This weekend Lohr re-opened House of Hope, a low-barrier safe house for women. She has five beds available on a month-by-month basis for women in need. Five more beds are expected to open by next month.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檒l even take teenagers if it香蕉视频直播檚 needed,香蕉视频直播� Lohr said, adding that she would require consent from parents to do so.

香蕉视频直播淭here are just so many obstacles that prevent women from moving forward and I had to do something. I see so many women suffering I had to try to make this work. 香蕉视频直播�

The safe house is where women who may want to go into treatment or who are looking to change their lives, end homelessness or abusive relationships can go.

Lohr described it as 香蕉视频直播渁bstinence free space with harm reduction香蕉视频直播� which means women who are using methadone, saboxone, THC pills or anything that would require a prescription are able to enter.

香蕉视频直播淭reatment facilities will not take women who are on these drugs,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淪o, we work with (local resources) and the girls can get into treatment.香蕉视频直播�

As of right now, there香蕉视频直播檚 a four to eight week wait time to get into addiction help, said Lohr, and that香蕉视频直播檚 too long to wait unless there香蕉视频直播檚 some stability.

香蕉视频直播淭his gives them a roof over their head and safe place to stabilize, so changes can start happening,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淧eople can香蕉视频直播檛 make changes in a shelter or living on the street. They香蕉视频直播檙e just in survival mode. You have to house somebody to make them feel safe to make changes.香蕉视频直播�

If a woman chooses to go into treatment, which is about 30 days, they can reserve their bed so they have some place to call home once they香蕉视频直播檝e completed their program.

She will also work with women who have been incarcerated, so they can learn how to function within the boundaries of society.

HOPE Outreach has only been open a week, and Lohr has yet to fully figure out funding. To contact Lohr go to .

GoFundMe

Family and friends of Chelsea Christianson are also making an effort to raise awareness on the issues of youth mental health and addictions and increase the services available.

香蕉视频直播淥ur goal is to donate the money from Chelsea香蕉视频直播檚 story, to the youth shelter at The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kelowna - a place where Chelsea often found comfort, support, and friendship, as well as The Maple Springs Bible Camp where she received support and unconditional love over the years,香蕉视频直播� reads a GoFundMe account titled

香蕉视频直播淥n April 22 Chelsea would have turned 18 - we will close the page on this day at 6 p.m.香蕉视频直播�