On August 31, the Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) joined hundreds of community members, families, advocates, providers, and partners on Boston Common to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day.

Together, volunteers planted more than 20,000 purple flags across the Common, creating a powerful memorial honoring people who have lost their lives to overdose throughout Massachusetts over the past decade.

For IHR, participating in this annual memorial is deeply connected to who we are and the communities we serve. Behind every flag is a person — a parent, child, sibling, friend, partner, or loved one whose life mattered. We also recognize the families and communities who continue to carry their memory.

Our staff were proud to stand alongside so many of our community and state partners in remembrance, but also in commitment. While Massachusetts and Boston have made important progress in reducing overdose deaths, our work is not finished. We remain committed to reducing stigma, expanding harm reduction, supporting multiple pathways of recovery, and ensuring that people who use drugs and their families are met with dignity, compassion, and meaningful support.

As we move from International Overdose Awareness Day into Recovery Month, we carry both remembrance and hope with us: honoring those we have lost, supporting those who are here, and continuing the work toward communities where every life is valued.

We remember. We honor. We keep showing up.