The Unforgotten Project

🚨 Community Alert- Please Share- This is in Topeka

🚨 Community Alert – Please Share 🚨

My heart is heavy today.

We are hearing reports of a dangerous batch circulating in Topeka. Yesterday alone, there were four overdoses in our community. Tragically, one person lost their life. Three others survived, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

Before anyone rushes to judgment, please remember that these are not just statistics. These are someone’s child, parent, sibling, friend, or loved one. Addiction does not discriminate, and judgment has never saved a life. Compassion, support, and connection do.

If you or someone you know is actively using substances, please take extra precautions. Carry naloxone, avoid using alone, let someone know where you are, and trust your instincts if something seems different or stronger than expected.

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out. Recovery is possible, and there are people who care. We would be honored to help connect you with treatment, recovery support, harm reduction resources, mental health services, and other community supports. No shame. No judgment. Just support.

If someone is experiencing an overdose, call 911 immediately and administer naloxone if it is available. Remember, you are protected under Kansas’ Good Samaritan Overdose Law when seeking emergency help for someone experiencing an overdose.

And please don’t throw away expired naloxone. Kansas law recognizes that expired naloxone can still be used in an emergency. It is far better to use expired naloxone than not to use it at all. Naloxone will not harm someone if opioids are not present, but it can save a life when they are. When in doubt, give the naloxone and call 911.

One bad decision should not become a death sentence. One moment of struggle should not define a person’s life.

Please share this message. It could save someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, or friend.

No judgment. No stigma. Just people helping people.

💜 TK Fights Fentanyl / Kaylee’s Dad Is Mad

One thing our team has in common is that many of us know grief personally.

We have lost children, friends, family members, and people we love to addiction, overdose, violence, homelessness, and other heartbreaking circumstances. Those experiences helped shape why The Unforgotten Project exists.

While our stories are different, we understand what it feels like to carry loss, to struggle through the hard days, and to wish someone would simply listen.

If you are grieving, hurting, or feeling alone, please reach out.

You don’t have to have the right words.
You don’t have to carry it by yourself.

Sometimes healing begins with being heard.

💙 We’re here to listen.
💙 We’re here to support.

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about homelessness, addiction, grief, recovery, or starting over?

Sometimes the biggest barriers aren’t resources they’re misunderstandings.

We’re listening. 👇

Hi, I’m Elizabeth one of the founding team members of The Unforgotten Project.

My journey hasn’t always been easy. I’ve experienced domestic violence, addiction, and homelessness, and I know firsthand what it feels like to have to rebuild your life while trying to be the best mother you can be. Those experiences shaped me into the person I am today and gave me a deep passion for helping others who are facing similar challenges.

I believe that no matter where someone has been or what they have been through, they deserve compassion, support, and the opportunity to create a better future.

I’m grateful to be part of a team that believes no one should be forgotten, and I’m proud to help share the stories, struggles, and victories of the people we serve.

Thank you for being here and supporting our mission. 💙

Hi, I'm Kenneth one of the Founders of The Unforgotten Project

My journey into this work is deeply personal. I carry the memory of my childhood best friend, George, who was tragically taken by gun violence in 2002 at 18 years old. George's son, Emilio, passed away at 23 from an overdose. Their stories fuel my commitment to making sure others are not forgotten.

My path has not been an easy one. I have faced the challenges of reentering society after incarceration, periods of homelessness, and addiction. These lived experiences shaped my heart for this work.

I am passionate about outreach that meets people right where they are. I feel called to serve individuals experiencing homelessness, supporting at-risk youth in building brighter futures, and walking alongside those reentering society after incarceration.

Hi everyone 👋🏼

I’m Amber, one of the founding board members of The Unforgotten Project.

I’m a mother of four and bring both professional experience and personal lived experience to my work with The Unforgotten Project.

With a background in early childhood education and a teaching license, I have dedicated much of my life to supporting children, families, and communities through learning, advocacy, and connection.

My journey has included overcoming domestic violence, supporting loved ones through addiction, and experiencing periods of homelessness. While those experiences were difficult, they helped shape who I am today and gave me a deep understanding of resilience, compassion, and the importance of having someone in your corner when life feels overwhelming.

I am passionate about serving others, especially those who often feel unseen, unheard, or forgotten. I bring strengths in education, community engagement, public speaking, and outreach, but more importantly, I bring a heart for helping people and a belief that every person deserves dignity, support, and hope.

I am honored to be part of The Unforgotten Project and excited to help build a community where no one is forgotten, left behind, or unheard.

💙

💙 Hi, I’m Kristin, one of the founders of The Unforgotten Project. 💙

For those who are new here, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share a little about why this work matters so much to me.

In 2023, I lost my 17-year-old son to a fentanyl overdose. In 2017, I lost a childhood friend, Logan, to gun violence. More recently, in May of this year, I lost a close family friend Skyler to addiction.

I have watched people I love fight for recovery, experience relapse, and struggle with addiction. I have stood beside friends as they navigated domestic violence, homelessness, and some of life’s most difficult challenges.

Professionally, I have worked in the nonprofit field since 2008 and have built strong relationships with Children’s Division and community agencies that support at-risk youth and families.

These experiences have shaped both my heart and my mission. Today, I am passionate about advocating for and supporting:

• Children and at-risk youth who deserve bright futures
• Families impacted by child loss, overdose, and addiction
• Early childhood educators who help shape the next generation
• Children, families, and individuals facing difficult circumstances

The Unforgotten Project exists because too many people feel unseen, unheard, or left behind. My goal is simple: to make sure they know they matter.

Thank you for being here, for supporting this mission, and for helping us create a community where no one is forgotten. 💙

Congratulations to our friends at Kaylee’s Dad is Mad & TK fights Fentynal on this incredible achievement!

What began as unimaginable heartbreak after the loss of their daughter, Kaylee, has become a powerful force for change across Kansas. We are proud to celebrate this historic moment as Governor Laura Kelly signed HB 2534 into law, requiring fentanyl education in Kansas high schools and naloxone in Kansas public schools.

This is more than legislation, it’s prevention, education, awareness, and lives saved.

Thank you for turning loss into action and ensuring that future generations have the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe.

Congratulations on this well-deserved victory. Your daughter’s legacy will continue to make a difference for years to come. 💜

Kansas law will require fentanyl education in high schools TOPEKA (KSNT) – A new Kansas law will require public schools to teach high school students about the dangers of fentanyl and other opioids. Amber Saale-Burger, who helped create the nonprofit…

Wow! We have officially reached 2,000 followers, and we are incredibly grateful for every single one of you.

What started as a mission to ensure no one is forgotten, left behind, or unheard has grown into a community of people who believe in compassion, advocacy, recovery, support, and hope.

Whether you’ve shared a post, attended an event, donated supplies, volunteered your time, offered encouragement, or simply followed along with our journey….thank you. Your support helps us continue serving those who need it most.

Together, we’ve provided outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, supported those in recovery, walked alongside grieving mothers, advocated for harm reduction, and worked to make sure every person knows they matter.

This milestone belongs to all of us. Thank you for believing in The Unforgotten Project and the people we serve.

Here’s to continuing the work, growing our impact, and making sure no one is forgotten. 💙