Province funds Project Angel in fight against opioid crisis in the Fraser Valley

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – A program that helps at-risk people in the Fraser Valley is looking to hire people who have lived on the fringe themselves.

Project Angel was launched last November to help fight the opioid crisis, pairing people who need help with a peer support worker.

“We have essentially hired people with lived experience, people who have walked in the shoes of those that they are attempting to help,” says Cst. Ian MacDonald, who manages the program. “And we’re trying to build relationships and those relationships can be anything from buying someone a pair of socks, or putting them on a pathway to treatment.”

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The program gets referrals from first responders, community support agencies, the client’s family and friends, and often the client themselves.

“Sometimes it will start with a cup of coffee, sometimes it will start with a ride to some sort of social service agency, whatever it is, our objective is to build a relationship and to help and then we work on what that help looks like down the road,” he adds.

The project has just received an infusion of cash.

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MacDonald says the project takes a lot of pressure off first responders.

“Running from call to call and crisis to crisis and arent’ necessarily subject matter experts when it comes to things like homelessness or addiction.”

Since the program started last November it has received over 200 referrals and is currently helping dozens of people.