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‘Islip Goes Purple’ to support Recovery Awareness Month

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Seeing purple?

Well, that’s because the Town of Islip — including downtown Sayville — has decorated the town in the “color of recovery” to support Recovery Awareness Month.

The purple signs, ribbons and flags adorning streets, trees and lamp posts across the town will remain in place through September, town officials announced last week. The second annual “Islip Goes Purple” event kicked off Aug. 31, the 20th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day.

The Islip Town Hall cupola will be lit purple during the month of September, and resourceful television programming will air weekly on Channel 18 and Verizon Channel 1982.

Many Sayville residents last week picked up free purple porch lights and bows and lawn signs and flags for their homes.

“Recovery is possible,” Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said. “Islip Goes Purple is about supporting those who are struggling with addiction or who have lost a loved one from an overdose … (Addiction) has touched alomost all of our lives in some way.”

Jaclene Jason, a clinical psychologist and program director for addiction services at South Oaks Northwell Hospital, noted how the hospital is proud to be part of “Islip Goes Purple.”

“‘Islip Goes Purple’ is a great way for the town to be able to help support the community around education and understanding … the disease of addiction,” she said. “It’s a great way to have a conversation to reduce stigma around the disease of addiction, to increase access care for addiction and to help make more stories of recovery and less of the stories that we hear on the news,” she added.

During September, Carpenter said, the town will support Recovery Awareness Month through five themed weeks.

  • Week one focused on what “Islip Goes Purple” is all about.
  • Week two concentrates on raising awareness.
  • Week three is about offering access to help.
  • Week four discusses “stop the stigma.”
  • Week five encourages conversation.

Islip premiered its “Islip Goes Purple” launch video on the town’s YouTube channel August 31.

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