On July 29th, the Our America Foundation (OAF), in partnership with the Hispanic Liberty Alliance co-hosted a Dangers of Fentanyl Forum and dinner at Maranatha Church in Tucson, AZ. The purpose of the forum was to educate guests on the severity and scale of the fentanyl crisis and what steps law enforcement is taking to handle it.
The forum was well attended with over 80 members of the community in the audience, with a strong turnout from our base of local Hometown Heroes. Many of the guests present were recruited by volunteers from our Tucson chapter, which is a clear indication of how effective our Hometown Heroes are at engaging their friends and neighbors.
The event included a panel discussion, moderated by Hispanic Liberty Alliance Executive Director Monica Yelin featuring multiple experts on drug-related crime and upholding public safety. The panel consisted of Tucson Police Captain Aaron Wine, 88CRIME Director James Allerton and Tucson Crime Free Coalition founder Monica Carlson. Also present was Venessa Ayala, a local resident who shared a heartbreaking story about losing her son to fentanyl.
Below are some photos taken at the Forum:
Stopping crime and upholding public safety are some of the most important issues we focus on here at OAF. The fentanyl epidemic has torn through communities across the nation and remains an under-addressed issue. Our leaders must start paying attention, and forums like this help raise awareness and ensure public officials and community leaders are working together on solutions.
