Serving our community through the help of the Lazarus Project.
During a community outreach event hosted through the Lazarus Project, one of our team members distributed Narcan and provided education about its role in reversing an opioid overdose. Our community members were trained in the importance of having this lifesaving medication readily available. This outreach event reflected a broader effort to increase access to lifesaving resources and support community members affected by substance use.
Later, the team member was informed that one of the Narcan kits that she had distributed was used during an overdose emergency and helped to save someone’s life. Outreach efforts are often measured through the number of events attended, individuals reached, or resources distributed, but this outcome demonstrated what those numbers can represent in real life. This outcome made our work and efforts feel especially tangible. What may have felt like a small interaction during an event, had a significant impact on the community we serve and directly contributed to saving a life. Increasing access to Narcan helps equip our community members to respond quickly during situations in which every second matters and can potentially create an opportunity for an individual to survive, recover, and get a second chance.
This success story highlights the value of grant supported partnerships and outreach efforts. By bringing practical resources into our community, programs, like the Lazarus Project, can extend their impact beyond the event itself. In this case, the impact was measured in the most meaningful way possible: a life was saved.
