You may have seen the news that Multnomah County, the city of Portland and the state of Oregon jointly declared a 90-day state of emergency regarding fentanyl. They are seeking to address the fentanyl crisis in downtown Portland. 

A recent OPB article included this startling statistic, “According to Multnomah County, the number of overdose fatalities involving fentanyl increased 533% between 2018 and 2022 in the county.”
 
Many of you have heard of the deadly impact of this drug. We at UGM have recently lost friends and loved ones. We all see the devastating effects of fentanyl every day.

It can feel overwhelming, but there is hope.

The UGM team, including you our volunteers and donors, is working to meet this crisis. The Seach + Rescue team is visiting camps weekly to come alongside people and help them get into recovery. We have many brave men and women in our LifeChange recovery community who are working hard to overcome the devastating effects of fentanyl on their lives. 

We are building a brand new, 53,000 square-foot building that will be the new home for LifeChange for Women and Their Children, this will allow us to double our capacity to help women and their children seeking to overcome addiction and homelessness. ugmportland.org/journeyhome

Thank you for your partnership to help address the most urgent needs this crisis is creating.