Harm reduction agency Turning Point fears more deaths in the community if it must close its doors on Nov. 1 when provincial funding comes to an end.
"We need more time to transition these services. It's vital that we keep our doors open this winter and beyond. These looming deaths and outcomes are preventable," said interim executive director Carolyn Corrigal, who spoke at the International Overdose Awareness Day event at Rotary Picnic Park on Friday afternoon.
"We know what impact this is going to have, not just for our clients, but for everyone."
Earlier this month, the Turning Point announced its government funding, which is also the majority of its funding, was coming to an end. Now the agency is trying to raise $250,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to keep its downtown building open past Nov. 1.
Corrigal said the agency has seen huge demand for its services since the overdose prevention site in Red Deer closed March 31.
"We are absorbing that impact and I'm here to tell you things are getting worse downtown, and they're getting harder and more dangerous for the clients. Our services are needed now more than ever at an increased rate to keep these issues from exploding further."
Last winter, about 100 people daily used the agency's Drop In program where they could get out of the cold if they were banned, or at risk of conflict or violence, at Safe Harbour Society's shelter.
"Not everyone can go there and when they can't, they come to Turning Point. We're that safety net."
Corrigal encourages the public to assist Turning Point to continue its work, which also takes the burden off health and other public services.
"We want people to live. We want them to improve their wellness. We want them to find stability. We want them to find recovery when they're ready. We don't want to stop helping."
A Moms Stop the Harm's 'Walk to Remember' to City Hall Park was held following the International Overdose Awareness Day event.
People were invited to carry purple hearts with the names of loved ones who have died from drug poisonings.
"(The hearts) come from the trees we set up at Christmas, and over a couple of years we have accumulated more than 800 hearts which is a staggering number and a reflection of the impact this crisis has had on our community," said member Candace Albrecht, whose daughter Gabrielle Morris, 21, died from an overdose more than two years ago in British Columbia.
"Right until the very end of her drug abuse, she was the most loving child that would step up to help anybody," Albrecht said about her daughter who was clean for three and a half months before she died.
She said Moms Stop the Harm quickly got in contact with her after her daughter's death.
"If you need help, just reach out. There is always somebody that will understand."