KENNEWICK, Wash. – Local community members are asking for the community to rally and bring the fight to the Tri-City drug problem.
According to a report from the CDC, Washington State experienced the single highest increase in reported drug overdose deaths from March 2022, to March 2023. An increase of over 25 percent.
Nancy Delgado is fed up and wants to do something about it.
“We just want to let the drugs know that we’re here and we’re here to win,” said Delgado.
Delgado is partnering with United Family Center to host a two-day event with the goal of letting people know she is there for them.
“It’s important to me because I’m in recovery, and I have kids that are out there using and I have friends that are out there using,” she said.
Delgado said she recently lost two people very close to her to drug overdoses.
Delgado is now 18 years clean and said she still is working on herself.
“I do a 12-step program,” said Delgado. “You know when I came in 18 years ago, my parents helped me detox.”
Delgado said her parents told her to either get help or she would be living on the streets.
One of the people she reached out to to help put this event on is Sarah McCann.
McCann is the Clinical Supervisor for substance abuse disorders services at the United Family Center in Kennewick.
McCann said, “Nancy came up to me with her vision for the event and I thought it was awesome.”
According to Delgado, the event will be two days with the first day consisting of speakers from first responders, to those who are in recovery.
She encourages those who are battling addiction to come by and just listen.
Delgado said there will be food, raffles, a memorial wall for those who have lost their battle to addiction and much more.
Patrisha Pasina, a probation officer for the Benton County Recovery Court and a former clinic worker said “She has seen more overdose deaths in the past three years, for her entire career.”
Pasina is assisting with the event and wants people to know they aren’t alone.
“People are dying from this disease,” said Pasina. “They don’t have to. You know we try to reach out to people and say you don’t have to do this alone, there are many ways.”
The second day will have a speaker and then from the United Family Center building, Delgado said they will walk almost two miles to the cable bridge and hold a moment of silence for those lost.
Delgado wants everyone who needs help to “Come check us out,” she said. “I know it can be hard, we want them to learn.”
