Advocacy in Action Lunch & Learn
February 18, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The Opioid Crisis
According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 215 Americans die daily from an opioid overdose. This crisis has hit Missouri especially hard, and racial disparities are especially acute.
We are excited to welcome Don Willey who has very personal experience with the opioid epidemic. After a 15-year battle with addiction, his son, Matt, succumbed to an overdose, leaving his family to make the impossible decision of withdrawing life support. Since then, Don has become an advocate to change how substance use and mental health disorders are viewed and treated, especially in the St. Louis area.
Don Willey is a St. Louis native and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1980. He joined LiUNA Local 110 in 1984 and worked with various contractors for over twenty years. In 1999 he was elected as an auditor and in 2004 Local Vice President and delegate to the district council. In 2007 Don was elected Secretary-Treasurer and 2010 elected Business Manager. Today Don is Chairman of the St Louis Laborer’s Pension Fund, Board member of St. Louis Welfare fund, Laborers Training Center Board, and The St. Louis Labor Council Board. The mission is to “Help People Live Better” in their jobs, their homes, their families, and their communities.
Our prior speaker, Sabrina Davis, had a death in the family and is unable to attend. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Davis family. We are thankful that Don will share his story with us.
To RSVP and receive login credentials, please email Jennifer Bernstein.