Sounds of Sarah Attends the DEA Fentanyl Free America Summit and CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute

Sounds of Sarah was honored to attend the DEA Fentanyl Free America Summit and the CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute in Orlando, Florida. The conference brought together prevention professionals, law enforcement leaders, public health experts, educators, coalition members, and youth advocates from across the nation to collaborate on strategies to prevent fentanyl poisonings, strengthen communities, and save lives.

The week was especially meaningful for Sounds of Sarah as President & CEO Patty Stovall was recognized as an Honorable Mention for the DEA Prevention Individual Award. This national recognition reflects the organization's commitment to prevention, education, advocacy, and supporting individuals and families affected by substance use and illicit drug poisoning.

Patty also had the opportunity to share Sarah's story during a recorded interview with the Drug Enforcement Administration, inspiring the founding of Sounds of Sarah and the organization's continued commitment to preventing future loss.

That journey began in 2022 with a visit to the DEA Museum in Arlington, Virginia, where Sarah's photograph is permanently displayed as part of the Faces of Fentanyl memorial. Standing among the faces of so many lives lost to fentanyl poisoning became the inspiration behind the mission of Sounds of Sarah. What began from profound loss has grown into a nonprofit organization providing prevention education, naloxone awareness and education, youth programming, grief support, community outreach, and crisis response services throughout Lake County Indiana.

Throughout the conference, Sounds of Sarah had the opportunity to connect with prevention leaders from across the country, learn from nationally recognized experts, strengthen partnerships, and bring valuable knowledge and resources back to the communities it serves. The organization is deeply grateful to the Drug Enforcement Administration, CADCA, and everyone working together to address the fentanyl and illicit drug crisis through education, prevention, collaboration, and compassion.

Sarah's legacy continues to inspire every educational presentation, every family served, and every effort to ensure that all individual's have hope, support, and access to lifesaving resources. Sounds of Sarah remains committed to its mission in preventing substance use, reducing stigma, supporting families, and building healthier communities through education, connection, and hope.