Published: 09/9/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Hundreds of folks gathered in Pacifica in California for the third annual HOPE Memorial Walk. This event is built around fentanyl awareness, overdose prevention and recovery. Participants carried photographs of people they had lost and walked together to share stories of grief and of recovery.

To be sure, states like California have an abundance of programs aimed at curtailing narcotics abuse. Folks can enter inpatient care or enroll in local Narcotics Anonymous chapters. Here, the walk took place on International Overdose Awareness Day.

Having HOPE

HOPE is an acronym for Healing Overdose Prevention and Education. Pacifica residents Rondel and Clarence Davis started the nonprofit after their son Tyler died from fentanyl in 2023.

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The Davises put their grief into advocacy to prevent other people from going through the same thing they went through.

Christina Hill traveled from Santa Rosa to remember her brother, Clemmie, who died from overdosing. The loss is still hard to absorb. “To think he’s really gone hurts too much.”

After walking, the participants gathered at Tyler Davis Memorial Garden near Highway 1. The space is dedicated to reflecting on those lost to overdose.

Fentanyl Kills

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used medically for severe pain. But illegal forms run throughout the drug supply. It’s frequently pressed into counterfeit pills or mixed with other substances. This means people often expose themselves without knowing.

Signs of an opioid overdose include slowed or stopped breathing, blue or grayish lips and fingertips, pinpoint pupils and unresponsiveness. An overdose qualifies as a medical emergency. When it happens, call 911 immediately.

Harm Reduction & Treatment

Attendees learned about Narcan, the brand name for naloxone. This overdose-reversal medication restores breathing during an opioid or fentanyl overdose. Naloxone is available over the counter and is distributed free in many community organizations. It doesn’t work on non-opioid and synthetic overdoses and is safe to administer even if you don’t know what someone took.

Fentanyl test strips let people check substances for fentanyl before use. Both tools reduce deaths without requiring anyone to be ready to stop.

Medication-assisted treatment remains a top tier approach and works alongside peer support rather than in competition with it.

Peer Support Matters After a Loss

Sharing personal stories helps reduce stigma and encourages people to seek help. That’s also the mechanism behind peer recovery groups.

Jodi Landi attended HOPE to support her son in recovery. “There’s hope out there because people do recover,” she observed. “I have a son who is in recovery, so I’m here to say recovery is possible. There are some wonderful resources available.”

Narcotics Anonymous is one of several peer support options for people recovering from drug addiction. NA meetings are free, open to anyone with a desire to stop using and available in most communities as well as online. Some people use NA alongside meds; others find a different framework fits better. Both work.

NA Still a Top Option

Those looking for peer support anywhere in the country, our searchable directory lets you browse NA meetings by city and filter by format. There are open and closed meetings and Spanish-language meetings.

You can also dial our helpline at 800-934-1582(Sponsored) for free and confidential assistance from an expert, available 24 hours a day.