Nestled alongside our community garden is phonebooth - a strange sight in the year 2017. The baby pink phone inside doesn't take quarters; it doesn't even have a dial tone. It does, however, have incredible significance. Welcome to The Phone of the Spirit, a project created to raise awareness about the heroin epidemic plaguing our city and country, as well as a purposeful safe place to grieve the loss of a loved one.
Church member Emily Harvey was inspired to create this project by her personal experience with opioid addiction. She lost her then-boyfriend to an accidental heroin overdose in May of 2015. In the two years since his death, Memphis has seen a staggering and alarming leap in opioid overdoses.
This project has been a natural fit within St. John's already active recovery ministry, and we are thankful for the opportunity to provide a space of comfort and connection to those experiencing grief and loss.
