Frequently Asked Questions
What are the goals of the Trail of Truth?
Trail of Truth seeks to beautifully memorialize those we have lost to substance use related causes such as overdose, endocarditis, Hepatitis C, etc., and harness the power of our collective loss to create change.
Our call to action for elected officials includes:
Immediate access to treatment for those who seek it
The end of discrimination in medical care towards people who use drugs
Barrier-free access to Naloxone, nationwide
Responsible and transparent spending of Opioid Settlement Funds, and including the voices of directly impacted people in these conversations.
We have created a Sensible Opioid Spending Pledge for elected officials, but you can support the pledge as an individual or organization by clicking here.
If I have submitted my loved one in previous years, do I need to submit them again?
Nope! Our memorial cemetery is always growing and we carry our loved ones with us year after year.
Can I see a picture of my loved one’s tombstone?
We try our best to photograph our tombstones, but we don’t have the capacity at this time to guarantee pictures of every single stone. We are working on growing our tombstone photo gallery and hope to eventually have every stone photographed, because we know how important it is for families to see their loved one’s stone.
The photographs we do have can be found in our online tombstone gallery here.
Do I have to pay to have a tombstone made for my loved one?
Nope! We do our best to keep the Trail of Truth accessible for families to participate in, and there are no costs associated with submitting your loved one to be memorialized.
That said, this endeavor is expensive and we struggle to have the funding necessary to pull off such a large event and effort. If you wish to make a donation to support our memorial and movement, you can do so here.
My loved one’s tombstone looks different than I remember. What happened?
A number of tombstones have been damaged and replaced over the years due to regular wear and tear and harsh weather. After the 2023 National Trail of Truth, which took place during Hurricane Lee, many stones unfortunately had to be repaired and replaced.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways for people to get involved from all across the country! If you are interested in becoming a Trail Blazer, click here. Read below for more information about different levels of involvement.
A partner is integrally involved in the event planning and success of the endeavors of the Trail of Truth. Partners assist with event promotion as well as participation in planning and executing the event. Partners agree to attend 60% of the all-partner meetings, committee meetings or will lead a committee.
A supporter is a group, individual, or business that financially supports the event or donates materials worth $1000 or above.
An ambassador promotes the event through various social media platforms.
A Memorial Tombstone Producer assists in producing tombstones by hosting accessible tombstone painting events following our guidelines and maintaining the spirit and goals of the Trail of Truth National.
Why do we only use black and white paint for tombstone painting?
We only use black and white paint in order to maintain the visual unity of the memorial cemetery as a large art installation, to preserve the tone and feeling of a real cemetery, and to keep the materials list consistent and simple for groups who are painting tombstones all around the country.