MSTH Advocacy Spotlight - February 2026
At MSTH, we highlight some of our members and advocates from across Canada.
Our members do incredible work in their communities to raise awareness of the drug poisoning crisis in different ways.
Some facilitate our peer support groups Holding Hope and our peer bereavement support groups Healing Hearts, while others work in advocacy for MSTH in their communities and provinces.
To find out how YOU can become more involved please connect with us at info@momsstoptheharm.com
Wendy Little and Dorene Loughlin
Red Deer, AB
Why did you become a member of Moms Stop The Harm?
I became involved with MSTH back in 2018 after losing one of my foster children to fentanyl poisoning. I was connected to the organization by Angela Welz who was looking into the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Special Report on deaths of youth in care that my son was featured in. I felt like I had nowhere to turn and that people judged my grief based on the fact that we weren’t blood related. I went on to lose another foster youth, cousins, countless friends, and the father of my children to opioid poisonings and MSTH was there for me the entire time.
What does being an advocate mean to you?
To us, being an advocate means speaking without shame and sharing our personal stories to foster understanding. It is a way to find some sense in the devastating loss of our sons, to be a voice for those who are often unheard in society, and fight for essential policy changes. Advocacy involves creating opportunities for open conversation and building awareness within our community that there is help and support available. Both, for those living with loss, and those supporting a loved one through/in substance use.
When we first started our advocacy actions we had no idea where it would lead or how it would be received. Every event has created a ripple and opens new doors we hadn't imagined. This ongoing movement continues to grow. To date we have had opportunities to share our stories and MSTH information at various meeting and events including:
Meeting our Member of Parliament, Our Member of Legislative Assembly, and the Mayor of Red Deer
Red City City Council public consultations,
IOAD,
Screening of Kimmapiiyipitssini (Gi ma bin bitzen),
Harm Reduction events,
Community Resource meetings,
Support Don't punish events,
Gone Too Soon trees at the Red Deer Hospital and Red Deer Public Library
We are proud to say we hosted our 2nd Annual Gone Too Soon, A Walk to Remember.
What do you want people to know about Moms Stop the Harm?
Ultimately, we want people to know that Moms Stop the Harm is a place of shared lived experiences where support is always available, ensuring no one has to walk this difficult path alone. It is a place to move our pain and use our voices to educate, connect and advocate for change. Critical to our success is the tools and resources available to us through MSTH. Key messages, clear goals and objectives, free learning workshops, a supportive staff and board are always available to us when we are preparing for an event.
