When Angela Kennecke founded Emily’s Hope in 2019 after losing her daughter, Emily, to fentanyl poisoning, she made a promise: to help other families avoid the same heartbreak.
Today, that promise is being fulfilled through a growing partnership with Avera, focused on saving lives, supporting recovery and educating communities about substance use and prevention.
Through naloxone access, overdose response and education, this collaboration is turning the tide of the opioid epidemic across South Dakota.
“Working with Avera allows us to save lives through rapid overdose response and access to care,” said Kennecke. “Together, we’re creating a model of compassion and action that truly makes a difference.”
Emily’s Hope and Avera collaborate on a Post-Overdose Response Team (PORT) serving communities throughout eastern South Dakota.
“When someone survives an overdose, our team reaches out right away,” Kennecke said. “We connect them to resources, treatment options and people who care. That moment of compassion can change the trajectory of their life.”