Campaigns
Black Balloon Day: A Day to Remember
This year we are marking International Black Balloon Day on March 6th. Every year families, friends and our team at MQI mark the day to honour the precious lives of our loved ones who have lost their lives to drug overdose.
Any parent who has lost a child will tell you that time doesn’t heal, but rather you learn to cope better with time. Whether it be suddenly or due to illness, Irish communities always rally and come together to support the grieving family. But what if that child loses their life due to an overdose? The shameful truth is that if you lose a child to addiction, the stigma surrounding that addiction is so real—that often the family feels ashamed—and as a result, the sadness and grief are made so much heavier.
As a country, we need to change this, and we must act now. Addiction is a health crisis right across the country. Families and communities are being left devastated by overdose and shouldn’t have to deal with the pain of being stigmatized on top of the deep trauma they are already coping with. We need to rally around these families and show our support for them. As the parents grieve the loss of a child, a sister, a brother, an aunt, an uncle…
MQI Services
At MQI we offer support for families who have a loved one who is living with addiction. The family support service provides family members with counselling, advice and guidance to deal with the trauma and issues associated with discovering a loved one is caught in addiction.
At MQI we take a harm-reduction approach to help people living with addiction. We offer food, medical care and needle exchange at our Riverbank Service in Dublin.
We also support people who are looking to move into recovery by offering:
- Community Detox
- Residential Detox
- Residential Rehab
- Aftercare Drug-Free Programme
You can find localised in support in your area. We work across Dublin, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, Laois and Wicklow.
You can find a full list of services and contacts available here.
Get Involved
Please join us in marking this Black Balloon Day by sharing an image of black balloons on your own social media.
Save this image and share it on your own social media, or with friends and family.
If you would like to stay up to date with MQI’s work, please sign up to receive updates below.
If you would like to help people experiencing homelessness and addiction, please donate to support our services today.
