80 flags represent 80 overdoses in past decade
(VERSAILLES, Ind.) – There is an initiative underway to recognize the lives lost to addiction over the past decade in Ripley County.
There are 10 different sites across the county that display 80 purple flags along with a yard sign.
The 80 flags represent the 80 Ripley County residents who have passed away from an overdose between 2014 and 2023.
The project is led by Jessica Ogden of Peer 2 Peer in coordination with the Ripley County Health Department.
It’s personal for Ogden as one of those flags at each site represent her mother, who passed away from an overdose in 2017.
“I know the stigma around addiction and overdosing. Also, I know a lot of people don’t want to talk about it but it is a real issue. I hope this helps people realize that it is an issue in our community,” Ogden told The 812.
You can find the 10 different sites in various communities. We've seen them in Friendship, Batesville, Sunman, Milan, Holton, Versailles and Osgood.
Peer 2 Peer is a support group that meets from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Friday at the Tyson Center in Versailles.
“We’re not faith-based or AA. We are just a group of people that ultimately have the same goal of living life sober,” Jessica said. “It has become like a family and an outlet not only for me but for others struggling in the community.”
The public is welcome to attend the meetings and it is open to anyone, even those who are not struggling with an addiction.
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