Community Vigil Mourns Victims Of Substance Misuse

Over 2,000 purple flags stand on the Framingham Common lawn, representing more than 2,000 lives that were lost to substance use disorder in the state last year. Framingham FORCE (Fostering Opioid Recovery Compassion & Education) organized a vigil held Saturday afternoon in an effort to bring the community together and offer support to people and families with loved ones suffering from substance use disorder.

Cathy Miles, one of the organizers of the event, said it was important that FORCE plan this event around the holidays. "The holidays can be a lonely time for people dealing with substance use. They can feel very stigmatized," she said. The vigil was FORCE's first event and brought 75-100 people together. People gathered and listened to the stories of two mothers who had both lost children to substance use disorder, both offering their own call to action. While the purple flags represented the lives lost in the state to substance use disorder, silver flags were also planted for people who wanted to personalize their memorial and dedicate the flag to someone battling addiction.

Seeing the crowd of people offering support was something Miles had waited a long time for. "It was the realization of a vision," she said, and one that hits home for her. Miles has a daughter currently in recovery for substance use disorder and she says as much hope as she has, she is still scared. "A lot of those people planting flags had kids in recovery too. All it takes is one slip. It's very scary," she says.

What Miles says offers her comfort is seeing how many lives events like these touch. The vigil brought people together for support and Miles says the flags will stay out through December to serve as a constant reminder of that support.

As sad as it is that so many people in Framingham have been affected by substance use disorder, Miles says the vigil showed a certain resilience and bond woven into the community. "We really are a cohesive community. We really care about our people," she said.

FORCE is a new committee working with the board of health and the city to organize more events and continue the conversation around opioids and substance use disorder. Miles says she has big plans for the group's future endeavors, including a 'Words Matter' campaign which will work to promote destigmatizing language surrounding addiction.

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Photo Credit: Cathy Miles/FORCE Framingham