From Loss to Hope: The Journey of Healing through West Virginia Goes Purple

By: Renee Ferguson

A New Chapter for Communities Battling Addiction

Somewhere in the majestic mountains of West Virginia lives a grieving mother who reached out to The Hope Dealer Project after one of her sons tragically died of an overdose. The Hope Dealer Project walked alongside her during this dark time and helped cover the funeral costs. Imagine the shock when not five days later a second son died of an overdose. Once again, The Hope Dealer Project was there to support this brokenhearted mother after the death of her second child. Her memories, like many others, first marked by promise, then pain, and finally, by a silence that echoed louder than any cry for help ever could.

According to the West Virginia Health Statistics Center, every county in West Virginia has lost at least one resident to a drug overdose death sometime between 2015 and 2018. Sadly, this West Virginia mother lost two of her sons in a matter of days to opioid overdoses. All she can do now is recall the future and dreams each child had while growing up. Addiction stole their future and dreams. Every sunrise since has carried the weight of grief and a burning desire to ensure no other parent knows her pain.

Stories like this mother’s, though painful, are all too common in the world today. The stories of homes filled with loss, and of communities searching for hope amid the wreckage left behind by addiction, have multiplied across the land. In the heart of this struggle, and in the midst of the fight, a new chapter is being written that will deliver even greater hope. The West Virginia Goes Purple proclamation is that new chapter.

The Birth of West Virginia Goes Purple 

Founded in response to the escalating opioid crisis sweeping through West Virginia and stemming from the deep passion for hurting families, West Virginia Goes Purple is more than a proclamation. “West Virginia Goes Purple is an awareness campaign focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery resources available in communities.” The proclamation’s strength lies in the coming together of parents, former addicts, counselors, and healthcare professionals, each bearing their own scars, but united by a vision: to turn stories of loss into legacies of hope.

Tara Mayson, founder of The Hope Dealer Project, a non-profit organization and the West Virginia Goes Purple initiative, is a passionate advocate and community leader, who was born and raised in The Mountain State and is proud to call Martinsburg, West Virginia her home. The non-profit is dedicated to supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder. Direct outreach, recovery support, education, and serving as court advocate are just a few offerings, in addition to providing basic necessities. Prior to entering treatment facilities, many people have lived on the streets for weeks, months, or years; and they lack the basic necessities like clothing and hygiene items.

“We supply them with those items so that they may enter treatment with dignity,” explained Tara.

Championed by The Hope Dealer Project, West Virginia Goes Purple is a statewide campaign that started in 2023 during National Recovery Month. The campaign encourages communities in all West Virginia counties to go purple by wearing the color purple, by illuminating their homes with purple lights, or by displaying the color purple in businesses to raise awareness about substance abuse. The movement emphasizes community involvement with residents, businesses, and service providers, encouraging them to participate in events and activities that highlight recovery resources and support systems available in their community.

Finding a Path to Recovery

At the core of West Virginia Goes Purple is a belief “that we are stronger together.” Working together, we can ensure that each participant is treated as a valued person, not an individual defined by their lowest point. The objective is to let everyone know that they are not alone and that they will never have to walk by themselves down this dark path. People are available and programs exist specifically to help others find their way out.

Tara recalled what it was like at the start. 

“In 2015, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia didn’t have a detox center. We didn’t even have a rehab center. We set up an 800 number (844-383-HOPE) and created a social media platform. People began calling, seeking services. We literally put them in our vehicles and drove them to all parts of the state, to a detox center, to a rehab center, wherever they needed to go, because we didn’t have it here.”

Fast forward to 2025, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is now equipped with the necessary facilities, and West Virginia Goes Purple is helping to shine a bright light on them all. The goal of finding a path to recovery is to foster a sense of belonging and to remind each individual: you are not alone.

Turning Loss Into Action

The ripple effects of addiction are felt far beyond the person using. The force behind The Hope Dealer Project and West Virginia Goes Purple is its love for family. Here, the children of the parents—like the mother who lost her two sons—are connected with peer recovery support specialists who work on treatment placement.  West Virginia Goes Purple is an initiative where tears are honored, memories cherished, and anger transformed into advocacy.

Through West Virginia Goes Purple, many mothers now have children thriving in recovery thanks in part to the awareness provided by this initiative. Tara and her purple ambassadors have launched community outreach efforts all over the state of West Virginia to break the silence surrounding addiction. 

Their message is blunt but vital: “Addiction can happen to anyone. Recovery is possible. And no one should fight alone.”

Measuring Success in New Beginnings

The stage was set when Governor Jim Justice endorsed West Virginia Goes Purple back in 2023. Tara and her purple ambassadors have been pushing out West Virginia Goes Purple proclamations across all 55 counties in the state of West Virginia. She has broken down the state of West Virginia into 6 regions, assigning purple ambassadors to each. Responses have been coming in from the various counties so far for 2025. Lewis County, Tucker County, Morgan County, Gilmore County, McDowell County, Harrison County, Monongalia County, Calhoun County, Hardy County, Hancock County, Marion County, Braxton County, Boone County, Berkeley County, and Mineral County have either signed or announced that they would sign West Virginia Goes Purple proclamation.

But for Tara and her team, the real measure of success is found in stories of reconnection—a father reunited with his daughter, a young artist painting again, a grandmother learning to trust her grandson.

Breaking the Stigma, Building Hope

One of the biggest hurdles in addiction recovery is the stigma that surrounds it. West Virginia Goes Purple works tirelessly to educate the wider community, encouraging people to participate in National Recovery Month in September. These efforts have nurtured a climate of empathy rather than judgment—where healing is a shared obligation.

Kevin Knowles, Mayor of the City of Martinsburg in West Virginia, a strong advocate, signed the proclamation for the third year in a row. He not only reaffirmed Martinsburg’s ongoing commitment to substance use prevention, recovery awareness, and community healing, but his desire to see the person, not just the problem. Both he and Tara see the whole town much stronger for it.

The Road Ahead

Even with boots on the ground, the purple ambassadors located across the state of West Virginia are working diligently to achieve 100% endorsement from all 55 counties. There is still much work to be done, relapses, setbacks, and old wounds remain; but the difference now is a sense of forward momentum, a belief that tomorrow can be better.

For the grieving mother, the pain of her loss will never fully fade. Yet one can only imagine her responses as she witnesses new families being greeted with open arms and gentle words. Hopefully, she can find a measure of solace. Every time someone participates in West Virginia Goes Purple and finds hope, the memory of lost loved ones lives on.

The story of West Virginia Goes Purple is a testament to what can happen when loss is met with love, and when a community comes together to lift its most vulnerable. In the wake of sorrow, hope grows and with it, the possibility of change for all.