I first want to say my condolences to the family of Jarad Higgins. I read the story about how the live free999 began and I think it is amazing what you are doing. Too many people of color are left out of mental health programs. They end up suffering from addiction and mental illness when there’s plenty of help, just a negative stigma around this stuff. In my early 20’s I set out to become a musician just to become addicted to prescription opioids, then on to abuse heroin and fentanyl… I almost lost my life to overdoses. Luckily, I made it out and have turned my life around with lots of help from counseling and mental health programs. Please, I want to help spread your message. I know what it feels like to lose friends and close family to this disease of addiction and mental illnesses. This week we lost another brother, Michael W. these drugs are devastating our community and I for one am sick of seeing this, I’m ready to act. I’m not sure what I can do, but I know I was born to help people with these problems that I have as well. Contact me if you need a young man to help with this cause. I talk to the youth about saying No to drugs and gangs, and to say yes to positive outlook on life free from drugs and violence.
-Jesse
