“Maybe he’d still be alive”

One of the ways our resident leaders impact their community is through our "Promotora" program. Going door-to-door, they promote resources and share information with their neighbors to contribute toward a thriving community. 

In addition to a database of resources to respond to individual needs, the Promotores focus on one resource per lap of the neighborhood. This month, we were able to provide health education about the risks of fentanyl and how there can be trace amounts not only in illicit drugs but also in prescription medications purchased abroad. Last year, "more than a third of opioid pain medications purchased in Mexico tested positive for illicit fentanyl rather than a prescription opioid medication."

Thankfully, in addition to the warning, we were also able to distribute the antidote: 275 doses of naloxone! This safe medication can be used in the case of accidental overdose and saves lives. 

One gentleman got emotional when he received it. He said his grandson had recently passed away from an accidental overdose. "Maybe if we had had this medication then, my grandson would be alive today," he said. 

Another woman shared that her son had been drugged while at a party and his friends watched him die before paramedics arrived. If they had had this life-saving medication, his life could have been saved. 

Strengthening the neighborhood is complex and thorough. It has to do with physical health, spiritual health, access to resources, economic mobility and social cohesion. There's so much work to be done to demonstrate God's love in tangible ways in our neighborhood of focus, but today we celebrate that while our resident leaders are door-knocking, they might also be saving lives.