Lower Chichester resident Sarah Walls was in eighth grade when her life changed forever.

The 17-year-old lost her older brother, Nicholas Noriega, and her father, James Jancovic, Sr., to fentanyl overdoses just months apart in 2021.

"It was all just a blur," Sarah recalled. "It just kind of broke me inside. First it was my brother, then it was my dad, so it was one on top of the other."

Now, Sarah and her mother, Cathleen Walls, find purpose in healing by helping others.

Every week, the two volunteer at the Trainer Food Pantry in Delaware County. It's their way of coping with grief and giving back to a community that's seen its share of struggle.

"It makes you feel a lot better inside helping other people," Cathleen Walls said. "I like helping other people. I always did."

For Sarah Walls, each hour spent stocking shelves or packing bags is a tribute to the two men she loved most.

"My dad was very protective of me, and I know he loved me," she said. "And my brother was like my favorite person. He was just everything to me."

Trainer Borough Council President John Gaspero, who manages the food pantry, said Sarah Walls is a valuable member of the team.

"She's visible," Gaspero said. "She's helping people. She's constantly asking if they need something. They can rely on her when they come in to give them the answers they need."

As the world marks International Overdose Awareness Day this Sunday, Sarah Walls wants to shift the narrative around addiction.

She's vocal about the dangers of fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that public health experts say is fueling the majority of overdose deaths in the U.S.

"Fentanyl should not be allowed on the market because fentanyl is very dangerous," she said. "It kills all the time."

In 2023, more than 4,700 Pennsylvanians died from a drug overdose, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Nearly 77% of those deaths involved fentanyl.

Delaware County is taking steps to tackle the opioid crisis.

"We have built a strong framework through the Opioid Settlement Task Force, our Health Department, our Department of Human Services' Office of Drug and Alcohol, and partnerships with organizations like MVP, Multicultural Community Family Services in Upper Darby, and St Joseph's Prevention Academy," Delaware County Council Chair Monica Taylor said. "And we continue to use every tool and resource at our disposal to expand treatment, prevention, and recovery services, saving lives and supporting families across our community."