Before Annabelle Metell entered her senior year at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, she knew she wanted to give back to the community through a Capstone project.

A few months later, Ms. Metell is gearing up to host a community awareness walk this Saturday aimed at tackling addiction on the Island. She named the walk Break the Silence, a message specifically meant for the loved ones of those struggling with substance abuse.

“I wanted to do something around addiction, because I’ve grown up in a household where [alcohol] addiction was present... and I’ve also had extended family who have struggled with substance abuse,” Ms. Metell said.

A Capstone project is offered as an independent study elective for juniors and seniors at the regional high school. Students who choose to do a project research issues the community faces and look for ways to help.

Ms. Metell said she feels that the family and friends of those struggling with substance abuse are often forgotten in recovery efforts. Many don’t speak-up because they harbor a lot of guilt.

“[Loved ones] don’t really get seen as the ones who would be struggling too,” Ms. Metell said. “...I wanted to focus more on the awareness aspect, because I feel like people mainly focus on the addict themselves, and don’t realize that addiction is a family issue and it affects everyone around them.”

From personal experience, Ms. Metell said there is power in speaking-out, and that loved ones need just as much support.

The event begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. Participants will gather in the school library to listen to testimony from Jack D’Arcy, a family friend of Ms. Metell’s who will speak to his personal struggles with addiction. Students Vivian Baxter and Isabella Levy will also give presentations about their Capstone project which is also dedicated to addiction awareness.

Participants will then embark on a roughly two-mile walk, heading down Sanderson avenue, up Barnes Road to the rotary, and then back to the high school. Everyone will receive T-shirts and pins to wear during the walk, and enjoy refreshments at the conclusion, funded by sponsors Island Pools and Contemporary Landscape.

Before submitting her project proposal, Ms. Metell researched how addiction impacts the Vineyard and found that rates on the Island are higher than the national average. This motivated her to invite the whole community, rather than just students.

“Here, it’s definitely a much bigger issue than a lot of people think,” she said. “I think it has to do with being isolated on an Island.”

Ms. Metell said one of her goals with the walk is to clear misconceptions about people with addictions. Even though the actions of those struggling with substance abuse can be difficult to witness, she said they are still good people who deserve support.

“Addiction is not a choice,” she said. “It’s very much an illness and a disease... [but] people more see it as this person’s doing it to themselves when that’s not true at all.”

Kevin McGrath, the school librarian and teacher of the Capstone class, said he’s known Ms. Metell for many years and has seen the way she cares for others firsthand. He said his son is autistic and Ms. Metell’s has been a friend to him through the school’s Best Buddies program.

“She’s very passionate about advocating for people who don’t really have a voice for themselves,” Mr. McGrath said. “So I think this project is a way of her speaking up for herself and for others.”

He said in his seven years teaching the Capstone class, never before has a student organized a community awareness walk.

“The most important thing is that students are taking ownership of their education,” Mr. McGrath said. “They’re doing something meaningful to them and also something that makes an impact... beyond the classroom.”

The Break the Silence walk begins at 9 a.m. at the regional high school. Meet in the school’s library.