Max's Mission: Summer Newsletter
- maxsmission
- Aug 13, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 10, 2025
A message from our Executive Director:
As we put together our Summer Newsletter the August promise of extreme heat is delivering! As a result we've pushed out the date for Overdose Awareness Day in Medford this year to September 27th and Klamath Falls to September 6th. We anticipate a cooler and more enjoyable afternoon. We have been busy working to make this year's events more meaningful for everyone, and we are extremely grateful to our sponsors who help make these events possible every year as well as our amazing team members who take on the extra projects with such dedication. I look forward to standing alongside you at both the Medford and Klamath Overdose Awareness Days this September as we come together to remember those we have lost, refresh our naloxone readiness with live trainings and connect with vital services as we continue to move forward together as a community, saving lives and breaking the cycle of addiction.
Julia Pinsky, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Max’s Mission
Summer has arrived, and while the seasons change, our commitment to confronting the opioid crisis remains unchanged. At Max’s Mission, our focus remains steadfast: providing free naloxone, substance use risk prevention and response supplies, and compassionate peer support across Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath Counties - five days a week, rain or shine. Every kit we distribute, every outreach stop we make, and every life saved is made even more impactful through the support of people like you. Community involvement - whether attending events like our upcoming Medford & Klamath Falls Overdose Awareness Days, or donating to our cause - helps ensure that life-saving supplies remain accessible to anyone who needs them.
Table of Contents
(Click any of the headings to quick-jump to a specific topic).
Overdose Awareness Day: Community, Compassion, & Action
We’re proud to announce that our 9th annual Overdose Awareness Day (OAD) will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Hawthorne Park in Medford. We are also excited to be partnering with local Klamath Falls community organizations to host the 3rd annual Klamath Falls Overdose Awareness Day, which takes place on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, from 1:00pm to 4:00PM at Veterans Memorial Park. Both of these powerful events brings together individuals, families, and organizations from across Southern Oregon to remember those we've lost, support community members in need, and stand united in the fight to end overdose.
The events this year will feature many resources, including information booths, free naloxone distribution with live training sessions, community speakers, memorial activities, food, music, and more. Overdose Awareness Day is a hub for connection to vital services, with many local community organizations tabling at this year’s event. These partners offer on-site access to drug treatment programs, housing resources, medical care, mental health services, safer use initiatives, health insurance enrollment through local CCOs, recovery programs, and assistance for people experiencing homelessness. Their presence reflects the strength of our community and our shared commitment to addressing the opioid crisis from every angle. Whether you're looking for help, information, a way to get involved yourself, or are merely curious, you'll find compassionate professionals ready to assist you.
A few of the community organizations and speakers at last year's Medford OAD (click an image to expand)
OAD '25 is also a powerful space for remembrance and healing. It’s a meaningful opportunity to meet others who have experienced similar loss and to connect in a space that feels safe, supportive, and relatable. Guests are invited to share photos, letters, or mementos honoring lives lost to overdose and fentanyl poisoning and contribute to our annual remembrance video. Additionally, OAD '25 will feature powerful speakers, including community leaders, individuals in recovery sharing their lived experiences and representatives from local organizations actively working to combat the opioid crisis and related issues. Their personal stories and unique insights further reinforce Overdose Awareness Day as a compassionate and supportive environment, helping to destigmatize substance use and bring the community together to learn how to better understand and support one another.
Last year's Medford OAD Remembrance Area (click an image to expand)
Ultimately, Overdose Awareness Day is a day of remembrance, education, and connection and we hope you'll be there with us. Whether you’ve attended every year, or are visiting for the first time, Overdose Awareness Day is a reminder that we are not alone in loss, and that growth and change are not just possible but actively blossom when we come together and support each other.
Medford & Klamath Overdose Awareness Day Sponsors
We are deeply grateful to the generous sponsors who make both the Medford and Klamath Falls Overdose Awareness Days possible. Their support fuels these community gatherings by helping us provide free naloxone, connect attendees to life-saving resources, and honor lives lost to overdose. To every organization and business that has stepped forward as a sponsor this year: thank you for standing with us in the fight against overdose.
Medford OAD '25 Sponsors
Max's Mission Employee Spotlight
Crystal Bilyeu has been a dedicated member of the Max's Mission team for over two years, but her connection to our work goes much deeper. Before joining our staff, Crystal was an outreach participant experiencing homelessness. Even during that challenging period of her life, Crystal carried Max's Mission naloxone kits, saving 49 lives to date by reversing opioid overdoses. When that astonishing number is brought up, Crystal it typically humble. “That’s eye-opening. I feel like it may be a small one, but I am putting a dent in the opioid crisis.”
Crystal’s turning point came when she found out she was pregnant. Unhoused, and still struggling with substance use, she knew she had to seek help - not just for herself, but for the life she was bringing into the world. She reached out to Max’s Mission and, with our advocacy, was able to connect with housing assistance, move off the street, and establish care with a primary care physician. “They didn’t judge me when I was a participant. I would come in every day and I formed a relationship with Max’s Mission.” She went on to give birth to a healthy, beautiful baby boy, Emanuel, who is now nearly two years old. Crystal is also the proud mother of a daughter, Marissa, in her early 20s.
Today, Crystal is a Certified Peer Support Specialist celebrating more than two years of sobriety. Her lived experiences grant her an extraordinary ability to empathize with and connect deeply to our participant population. “They are just as important as anyone else, so I treat them just like any other person,” Crystal says. Known around Max’s Mission as an absolute rock star during outreach and for her peer support skills, Crystal consistently demonstrates an unwavering commitment to compassion and service. In a nutshell, Crystal dramatically and positively impacts those with whom she works – both participants and Max’s Mission employees alike.
Crystal envisions substance use risk prevention and response as her career path moving forward. She states: “I get to help people change their lives for the better. To me, that’s as good as it gets!”
We are incredibly grateful to have Crystal on our team, where her unique perspective, lived experience and dedication continue to transform lives and inspire everyone around her. Her story is a powerful testament to the profound impact of comprehensive substance use risk management and peer support in fostering recovery, stability, and personal growth.
Opioid Overdose Reversals (January - July 2025)
Building on the detailed Overdose Reversal Report shared in our Spring Newsletter, this updated graph adds June and July to our year-to-date numbers, offering an even clearer picture of 2025’s trends. Max’s Mission has long maintained comprehensive records of naloxone distribution and reported overdose reversals, and these ongoing updates help us track changes, identify needs, and share the real-time impact of our work with the community. Our updated report shows that July brought 62 verified opioid overdose reversals using Max’s Mission naloxone kits. While this represents a decrease from June’s 77, it’s still far above the early-year numbers and highlights the ongoing need for naloxone access in every corner of our community.
These figures are not just numbers on a chart, they are peoples' lives being saved. Each bar in our updated graph represents dozens of moments where someone in crisis had a second chance because naloxone was there when it mattered most. In total, 458 opioid overdose reversals, specifically using Max's Mission naloxone kits, have been reported to us so far in 2025. Each reversal is a story of quick thinking, courage, and compassion. It’s important to note that this number reflects only the reversals we hear about directly; many more are likely to go unreported. The true total is almost certainly higher, meaning the lifesaving impact of naloxone in our community extends well beyond what the data can fully capture.
Beyond the statistics, the human stories behind these reversals remain at the heart of our mission. Many participants in our Naloxone by Mail program share that they have used their kits to save the lives of family members, friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers. Just as often, we hear from people who have never had to use naloxone, but keep it close at hand because they want to be ready should the need arise. This readiness is inspiring - it shows a growing sense of community compassion and connection, where more and more people are prepared to act in a crisis. Together, these individuals form a powerful safety net, woven from the shared commitment to protecting one another. These personal accounts from community members show how access to no-cost naloxone through Max’s Mission can make a life-saving difference in Southern Oregon.
"I heard about this through my work... and this will really help give me peace of mind when taking my kid to the park as I know we have seen an increase of accidental exposures in kids from public spaces. I want to be able to help. Thank you!" - H "I’m a nurse and would like to have in case of emergency in the community. Thank you for this opportunity" - A "Thank you! What an amazing gift to our community you have become!" - S "Thank you so much for all you do to help educate and provide lifesaving resources!" -J "Thank you so much for the work you are doing! I am a CPR & BLS instructor. I plan to carry this with me, as well as present it as an example during my classes." - A "My son uses fentanyl and he has overdosed several times. Thank you for sending some [naloxone] as you have quite possibly saved his life!" - P
This updated data reinforces what we’ve known all along: consistent naloxone distribution, ongoing training, and community engagement save lives. With your help, we will continue to meet this crisis head-on, ensuring that anyone, anywhere in Southern Oregon can be ready to respond when an opioid overdose happens.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Our Lifesaving Work Together
As we close out the Max's Mission Summer Newsletter, we’re reminded that every part of our work - from honoring lives lost with Overdose Awareness Day, to celebrating the resilience and dedication of team members like Crystal Bilyeu, to tracking the hundreds of overdose reversals reported so far this year - comes together to form a united effort to save lives in our wonderful Southern Oregon community. Going forward, Max’s Mission will continue to expand naloxone access, deepen community partnerships, and share the real stories that show why overdose and infectious disease prevention matters. With your support, we’re building not only a stronger safety net for Southern Oregon, but also a community where compassion, preparedness, and hope guide our response to the opioid crisis. The road ahead is challenging, but together, we are ready.
We hope to see you at one, or both, of our upcoming Overdose Awareness Days to reflect, connect, and strengthen our shared commitment to remembering those we have lost and ending stigma surrounding substance use.
Klamath Falls Overdose Awareness Day: Saturday, September 6th, from 1:00PM - 4:00PM at Veterans Memorial Park.
Medford Overdose Awareness Day 2025: Saturday, September 27th, from 1:00PM - 4:00PM at Hawthorne Park in Medford
