H.A.L.O.S

(Honoring All Loved Ones) * Sincerely

HALOs are APALD’s way of recognizing and rewarding members that show up for awareness, remembrance, and community support in the fight against fatal drugs on our website. This page explains what they are, how you earn them, and what you can do with them.

Log in to see your HALO balance, or create a free membership to start earning.

What are HALOs?

HALOs are recognition points stored on your member account. They are not money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. They exist only inside APALD as a shared language of participation: when you earn HALOs, the site is acknowledging that you took part; when you give HALOS to an angel, you are leaving a visible sign that this community still remembers.

Your balance

Your spendable total is the number you see in your profile and on this page when signed in. It increases when you earn or purchase HALOS and decreases when you donate them (and, in the future, when you redeem them toward eligible store purchases).

Who can hold HALOs

Currently only members. Guests may read this page and visit the memorial wall, but earning, holding, donating, and buying HALO packs all require a free membership and a signed-in session. That keeps every HALO attached to a real account. We may create a way for visitors to show an angel page support in the future.

Why APALD created HALOs

Fighting the fentanyl crisis and supporting families affected by fatal drugs is long, difficult work. HALOs make steady, quiet participation visible—without turning remembrance into a contest.

HALOs complement—not replace—financial donations, volunteer work, and Premium membership. Each serves a different role in sustaining APALD.

How to earn HALOs

You can build a balance through regular site activity and, if you choose, through the store. Exact amounts and daily limits may be adjusted over time so the system stays fair and resistant to abuse.

  1. Activate your membership New members receive a one-time bonus of 50 HALOs when they complete account activation using the link in their registration email.
  2. Sign in regularly Members receive HALOs just for logging in to the website (currently once every 24 hours). This rewards presence without encouraging repeated empty logins.
  3. Honor someone else’s angel Thoughtful, respectful comments on memorial pages earn HALOs. Supporting families other than your own is part of the culture we want to encourage.
  4. Purchase HALO packs The store offers bulk HALO packs (and may occasionally offer products that include HALOs as a thank-you). Credits apply only after payment succeeds, so your balance matches completed orders—not abandoned carts. You must be signed in to buy account-tied HALOs.
  5. Mission-linked bonuses From time to time, campaigns or selected products may include HALOS as a bonus. Those credits also post only after a successful payment if payment is required.

What does not earn HALOs

What you can do with HALOs

Today, the primary use is supporting angels on the memorial wall. Additional uses are planned and will be described clearly in the product when they go live.

  1. Donate to an angel On an angel’s page, signed-in members may give HALOs (currently in amounts such as 1, 5, or 10). The angel’s displayed total increases, and your spendable balance decreases by the same amount. This is a community recognition signal—not a cash gift to the family.
  2. Future: eligible store rewards We plan to let members apply HALOs toward a limited portion of eligible purchases. Some restrictions may apply.
  3. Recognition over time Your activity contributes to a culture of loyalty and showing up. We will later implement all-time totals (separate from spendable balance) for community statistics and milestone rewards; those lifetime figures will only increase and will not go down when you donate or redeem.

What is available now

So you know what to expect today versus what is still being built:

Feature Status Notes
Member HALO balance Available Visible when signed in (profile / this page)
Activation welcome bonus Available 50 HALOs once, when the email activation link is used
Earn via login and memorial comments Available Subject to site rules and anti-abuse limits
Buy HALO packs in the store Available Members only; credited after successful payment
Donate HALOs to an angel Available On memorial / angel pages when signed in
Apply HALOs at store checkout Coming soon One-time items only; caps and promo rules apply
All-time / lifetime HALO totals Planned Separate from spendable balance
Cash value or withdrawal Not offered HALOs have no cash value outside this site

Important rules

Integrity

  • Balances cannot go below zero. You are not able to spend HALOs you do not have.
  • Donations and purchases are recorded server-side; the site will reject actions you cannot afford.
  • HALOs are not transferable outside APALD’s own tools (for example, you cannot sell them).
  • The activation welcome bonus is granted once per account, only on successful email verification.

Respect on memorials

  • Comments and HALO gifts on angel pages should be supportive and appropriate.
  • Abuse, spam, or attempts to game rewards may result in removal of content and loss of related HALOs privileges.
  • Memorial pages are places of grief; HALOs are meant to honor, not to compete.

APALD may update earning rates, limits, and redemption rules as the program matures. Material changes will be communicated to members through the site.

HALOs and Premium membership

HALOs and Premium memberships are related to the same community, but they are not the same thing.

HALOs

A recognition and engagement reward system for members—earned through activity, optionally purchased in packs, and used especially to support angels on the memorial wall.

Premium / Premium+ (Premium Plus)

Optional paid membership tiers with their own benefits. You can be a free member who earns HALOs, a Premium member, or both. One does not replace the other.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay to get HALOS?
No. Many HALOs come from participation, such as activating your account, signing in, and engaging respectfully on memorials. Store packs are optional if you want a larger balance—for example, to donate more often to angels.
Do new members get HALOS when they join?
Yes. After you register, you must open the activation link sent to your email. When activation succeeds, your account is credited with 50 HALOs one time. Accounts that register but never activate do not receive this bonus. You can earn more by signing in, engaging respectfully on memorials, or purchasing HALO packs in the store.
When does my balance update after I buy a pack?
After payment succeeds. We credit HALOs when the order is confirmed, so the number you see reflects completed transactions rather than items left in a cart.
Can guests buy or donate HALOS?
No. HALOs are tied to member accounts. Create a free membership and sign in so activity and purchases credit the correct balance.
Is donating HALOs the same as donating money?
No. Financial donations and store purchases support APALD’s operations and programs. HALO donations on an angel page are a community recognition signal — a way members show that they remember and stand with that memorial. They are not a cash transfer to the family.
Can I donate HALOs to a memorial I submitted?
The spirit of the program is to honor others. While we have not restricted the ability to donate HALOs to your own angel, we strongly encourage giving HALOs to angels submitted by other families so the gesture remains outward-facing.
Will my HALOs expire?
There is no separate expiration program on top of normal account rules. Your spendable balance changes when you earn, buy, donate, or (when available) redeem. If a formal expiration policy is ever introduced, it will be announced clearly to members first.
Can I convert HALOs to cash or transfer them to another person?
No. HALOs have no cash value outside APALD and cannot be withdrawn. They are used only through features the site provides.
Where can I see how many HALOs an angel has received?
On that angel’s memorial page. Totals reflect HALOs the community has given to that memorial through the site’s donate tools.
I think my balance is wrong. What should I do?
Sign out and back in, then check again after any recent store purchase has fully completed. If the total still looks incorrect, contact APALD with your member email and approximate time of the activity so the team can review account records.

Begin with a single light

Create a free membership, activate your account to receive your welcome HALOS, visit the memorial wall, and—when you are ready—share HALOs with an angel who should not be forgotten.

Join APALD Member login Memorial wall