Medford Residents Invited To Honor Loved Ones Through Adopt a Pole Campaign

MEDFORD, MA — The city is joining neighboring communities in recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month through the annual Adopt a Pole campaign, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced Thursday.

Beginning on Thursday, Aug. 20, purple ribbons will be displayed on utility poles throughout downtown Medford and remain in place through the end of September. Residents can dedicate a memorial ribbon in honor of a loved one lost to substance use by emailing the person's first name and last initial to Team Medford. Memorial tags will be attached to the ribbons and displayed throughout the campaign. The Adopt a Pole campaign began in Boston through the nonprofit Scars in Heaven and has since expanded to communities including Malden, Chelsea, and Revere.

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"Every purple ribbon represents a person who was deeply loved and is deeply missed," Lungo-Koehn said. "As a community, we honor their memory while standing with the families and friends who continue to grieve. We also want every resident to know that help is available and that Medford remains committed to expanding prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction efforts."

The annual initiative serves as a memorial for those lost to substance use while raising awareness about prevention, treatment, recovery and hope. Throughout International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday, Aug. 31 and National Recovery Month in September, the city will also promote local grief support services, its new Family Support Group, treatment and recovery resources, overdose prevention efforts, and the Opioid Settlement Mini-Grant Program.

"The Adopt a Pole campaign creates space for remembrance while also encouraging conversations about substance use and recovery," Catherine Dhingra, prevention and outreach manager for the Medford Health and Human Services Department, said. "International Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month remind us that behind every statistic is a family, a friend, and a community. We hope these memorials help reduce stigma, encourage people to seek support, and let those who are struggling know they are not alone."

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