Prevention Point Philadelphia

National HIV Testing Day is next week Thursday, June 27, and Prevention Point is hosting a special HIV testing event from 12 to 2pm! We encourage EVERYONE to get tested, know your status, and know your prevention and treatment options. Join us in the Love Lot on Thursday for a free, expedited HIV test along with water ice and pretzels. Each person tested receives a $5 Wawa gift card. Hope to see you on Thursday!

PPP is closed for Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 18, except for Beacon House and Homeless Outreach. We will open as usual on Thursday, June 20. We hope you all have a joyful, restful Freedom Day!

If you aren't familiar with the history of this important holiday, check out this article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html

Prevention Point was excited to be a Freedom Supporter Sponsor at Philadelphia Juneteenth this year. Scout and Carlos tabled at Malcolm X Park and distributed 450 doses of Narcan in just a couple hours! They also gave out 100 fentanyl test strips and 100 xylazine test strips, and trained many festival goers in overdose reversal.

It was amazing to make heartfelt connections in West Philly at such a joyous event. Can’t wait til next year! 🖤❤️💚

PPP's June 8 Community Cleanup was a big success! Roz Pichardo and crew picked up 20 bags of trash and 200 syringes, and distributed 20 doses of Narcan and 50 pairs of socks. The next Cleanup is on Saturday, July 13. Register to volunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UOoztv-S2HOSe8z4uFEWqWG5Tsez-OVL3JaqRjsAJcs/edit

Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) is proud of the dads on our staff! Manny Carrasquillo has been at PPP for three years, and he is a Lead on our Syringe Services team as well as a back-up driver. He's also the father of two beautiful children—his son Ethan is two years old, and his daughter Emma is just four months old. Manny's team members say he is a charismatic and reliable colleague, and emphasize that he is an extremely dedicated and loving father. Congratulations to Manny and family on their newest addition.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads of PPP!

Honoring ALL fathers today. We know that Father's Day, while joyful for many, can be painful or complicated for others. We meet fathers from all walks of life who are in various phases of their relationships with their children. As harm reductionists we believe in second chances. We support our participants in making the decisions that they believe will lead to a brighter future for themselves and their families.

We see you, we love you. Happy Father's Day from all of us at PPP.

Prevention Point's low-barrier shelter for people living with substance use disorder is featured in today's Inquirer! Thanks to our staff and residents (especially Tarence) for making this possible. Learn more about Beacon House:

PPP's Beacon House "gives people who live there time to focus on their next steps while providing them with support to navigate housing placements, drug treatment, and other social services. The stability — and lack of judgment — leads many to choose to enter treatment, even though it’s not required."

Kensington’s Beacon House is one of the nation’s lowest-barrier shelters for drug users. Some say it offers tough lessons for the city in crisis. Kensington's Beacon House gives residents time to focus on their next steps while providing them with support to navigate housing, drug treatment, and social services.

Thanks to volunteers LJ and Sophia and PPP staff Scout for organizing a special outreach effort to help unhoused people in Kensington beat the heat. They distributed ice cold water, electrolyte packets, cooling towels, and more today, and Scout plans to continue this work throughout the summer.

Overdose numbers rise in the heat, and with new contaminants in the drug supply we are being extra vigilant about making sure people in the streets have what they need to survive.

Want to help? Donate here https://ppponline.org/donate or check out our Amazon wish list— https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/223ZAHA2JWF1H ☀️🌡🙏

PPP Community Night is early today: 4-6pm in the Love Lot next to our main building. Food, haircuts, wound care, harm reduction supplies, connections to shelter and care.

Join Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP), Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services in the PPP Love Lot this Thursday at noon for the dedication of a new mural by Victor Sgro!

PPP and Mural Arts Philadelphia teamed up with freelance artist Victor Sgro to create a new mural at Prevention Point’s Love Lot. Sgro, a Kensington-based artist, was selected by curator and lead artist Jacob “Chris” Hammes to create a new temporary mural, “Once Upon a Hope Dream,” as part of an ongoing series of installations.

Since 2021, the Love Lot, a vacant lot located adjacent to Prevention Point’s main building on Kensington Avenue, has provided a range of services including public restrooms, food and clothing distribution, medical and social services, overdose reversal trainings, art workshops, and public events. In 2023, Chris transformed the space into a welcoming, colorful place where community members can gather and participate in services.

We hope to see you at noon this Thursday!

Photo: Lisa Kelley

Remember Jamila? We featured her Sunshine Story back in February. She recently stopped by Beacon House to say hello to staff, and we are happy to say she continues to thrive. Housing Coordinator Naomi Wildflower recalled a special memory from working with Jamila:

“The day before Jamila decided to go into inpatient treatment was also the day before her birthday. I had helped her make an appointment at an outpatient therapy center and promised I would buy her lunch afterwards, if she went. We took the El to Center City together and she successfully completed her therapy intake. I was so proud of her for finishing the intake. She and I had worked together for several months and Jamila had struggled to make several appointments before.

After the intake was complete, she chose 5 Guys for lunch, her favorite spot. She told the cashier that it was her birthday tomorrow. While we waited for our food, the cashier went out and bought Jamila a piece of birthday cake. We both started to cry as Jamila told me she hadn't celebrated her birthday in a few years.

I was surprised, excited, and amazed that the next day Jamila decided it was time to go to long-term inpatient treatment. She stuck with it for over a year. The inpatient treatment program connected her to long-term housing after that.

I think a lot of people would look at Jamila when she was in active use and assume she wouldn't change her life. I am so proud to know Jamila and so grateful we still keep in touch today.”

Left: Naomi
Right: Jamila

Read Jamila’s story: https://ppponline.org/blog/jamilas-sunshine-story-they-saw-potential-i-had

Today at 5pm: COMMUNITY NIGHT! Join PPP in the Love Lot from 5 to 8pm for dinner, harm reduction supplies, wound care, haircuts, and community.

Community Night | Prevention Point At Community Night, ALL are welcome for food and services. This event takes place most Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at PPP’s main building, 2913-15 Kensington Avenue.Attendees are provided delicious food, clothing, and showers. There are also games, including cards, chess, and dominos, as well a...

TODAY! PPP Womxn's Night is a fun, safe, inclusive space where you are respected and valued just as you are. This space is for all who identify as female, femme, transfeminine, and non-binary. Womxn's Night is held every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8 pm at PPP's main building, 2913-15 Kensington Avenue. Read more 👇💕🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Womxn's Night | Prevention Point Womxn's Night is a fun, safe, inclusive space where you are respected and valued just as you are. This space is for all who identify as female, femme, transfeminine, and non-binary. Womxn's Night is held every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8 pm at PPP's main building, 2913-15 Kensington Avenue.

Happy Pride Month! All people deserve accessible, affordable, compassionate health care. No one should be made to feel stigmatized or judged for who they love, their gender identity, or their substance use. Creating environments that embrace diverse identities is especially crucial in medical settings where many people feel at their most vulnerable.

You are welcome, affirmed, and cared for at Prevention Point.

Yesterday PPP staff and volunteers did our monthly grocery delivery, dropping off bags of fresh groceries to 55 Kensington families. Thanks as always to Wes, Carlos, and Natonda for organizing this effort, and to Mark, Angel, Anna, Mr. Bernard, and Leonard for helping out! We appreciate all of you.

Thank you Crystal for sharing your story this week. We are full of love and hope for you and your husband, Peter!

When, for the first time, Crystal and her husband have a small apartment of their own, they’re having a big party and everyone from Prevention Point Philadelphia is invited: Dee, Tamica, David, Ripley, Naomi… the list is long and growing. These are the people who changed her life, and most likely saved it.

She’ll make some traditional Puerto Rican dishes, like roast pork and arroz con gandules (rice with peas). She’ll tell everyone about her job and her neighbors and the every-day things many of us take for granted.

“I can’t wait to be able to cook in my own kitchen and come home from work and put my feet on the sofa and watch a movie cuddled up with my husband and just be happy to be in my own home,” says Crystal, 43. “I can’t wait.”

This all once seemed impossible. Raised by a mother with substance use issues, Crystal was r***d at 13 and started using crack co***ne at 14. She ran away from home after her uncle died in her arms. She began using he**in when she was 18.

Read Crystal's story:

Crystal's Sunshine Story: Energy to Heal | Prevention Point When, for the first time, Crystal and her husband have a small apartment of their own, they’re having a big pa

Did you know that free summer meals are available for all Philadelphians? Thanks to orgs like Philabundance and Share Food Program for ensuring that families don't go hungry this summer. Check out this helpful article for resources about finding free meals near you.

PPP provides snacks and coffee via our Drop-In Center, as well as free dinner on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Womxn's Night and Community Night❤️

Where to find free summer meals and food in Philadelphia Hundreds of free food and meal sites are located throughout the Philadelphia region. Here's how to find free food.

Yesterday PPP hosted our first-ever Spring Festival in the Love Lot. We served a delicious lunch to well over 600 people and were busy from the moment we opened at 12:30 until we ran out of food at 4pm—quite possibly the largest event we have ever hosted.

We served a buffet of Puerto Rican specialities including pork shoulder, grilled chicken, arroz con gandules, and potato salad. Larry and team kept the grills hot, cooking up hundreds of burgers and hot dogs all afternoon.

We provided 200 solar-powered chargers to guests, and also had a live raffle. Two lucky participants walked away with the grand prizes—new bicycles!

Big thanks to Socks For The Streets for setting up shop. Given the humidity combined with the xylazine-related wounds that many people are experiencing, we can never get enough clean new socks. As on every Thursday, Lisa Kelley and Kathryn Pannepacker hosted their workshop, giving people the chance to make some art after finishing their burgers.

Thanks to our gracious staff, volunteers, donors, and security team for ensuring that everyone had a safe and fun festival. Special thanks to Larry Anderson and Director of Drop-In Services Viviana Ortiz for initiating and organizing this successful event for the community.

Did you know that PPP offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? For the past year, Denise Botcheos, LCSW, and Chad Gurdgiel, LSW, have provided CBT to 19 participants facing substance use disorder and trauma. Most had never gone to therapy before, and all have reported that CBT has been beneficial in their lives.

This initiative aims to improve access to mental health services by focusing on low-barrier therapy and the integration of harm reduction principles. By fostering environments that prioritize harm reduction and trauma-informed care, Denise and Chad seek to create compassionate, non-judgmental spaces where individuals can receive support regardless of their substance use status.

Offering CBT is one of the many ways PPP strives to meet people where they are and respect their readiness to seek help.

Prevention Point's Spring Festival is this Thursday in the Love Lot, 12-4pm! Join us for free food, music, art, raffles, games, and more. Hope to see you there!

Thank you Eric for sharing your story and poetry. We're grateful for your art, peaceful energy, and compassionate heart. ...................
Eric never thought he’d make it to 30. He began using he**in when he was 19, overdosing twice.

“There was no way I was going to make it through my 20s,” says Eric, now 33.

He almost didn’t.

Eric’s story has a happy ending: He hasn’t used an addictive substance in two years. He’s taking college courses, studying addiction psychology, and hoping to one day work with incarcerated men. He volunteers with Prevention Point Philadelphia, serving alongside the people, he says, who gave him food, clothing, and clean syringes without judgement and offered love and compassion when he didn’t think he deserved it.

“On a freezing cold night, I was always able to come here and get clothing and blankets and food. I’d go days without eating… and the meal I’d gotten in me had saved me,” he says. “In the middle of chaos, there is peace here.”

Read Eric's story and original poetry:

Eric’s Sunshine Story: Free from the Game | Prevention Point Eric never thought he’d make it to 30.

PPP staff reversed several overdoses this week that required more than one dose of Narcan. At the moment, we suspect that nitazenes are present in the illicit supply in addition to the potent tranquilizer medetomidine. Carry extra naloxone and check on folks if they seem unconscious. If someone's color and O2 levels are normal, and they're breathing, they are likely sedated (NOT overdosing). In this case, they should be monitored closely but not given more Narcan.

Details on nitazenes:

hip.phila.gov

Community Cleanup last Saturday was a big success! Roz Pichardo and a crew of 16 volunteers got 100 syringes and 10 huge bags of trash off the Kensington streets. Roz also trained the group in opioid overdose reversal, and the group distributed 30 doses of Narcan throughout the neighborhood.

Our next Community Cleanup is Saturday, June 8! Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18xiClW9y0U6VfJHh0noHEOYcWAY2csfoRzcOnqht2HQ/viewform

Medetomidine, a non-opioid veterinary sedative more potent than xylazine, has been detected in Philadelphia's illicit drug supply. This adulterant is likely why PPP staff have been responding to an increase in adverse drug reactions, particularly heavy sedation, over the last couple weeks.

Please check on folks to make sure they’re breathing, carry extra water, replenish electrolytes, and carry Narcan. Remember that Narcan only works on opioids, not xylazine or medetomidine. If someone is sedated but not overdosing (i.e. they're breathing, have normal oxygen levels, their skin isn't blue or gray), you should still monitor them. However, in this case more Narcan won't wake the person up.

Details on medetomidine:

hip.phila.gov

We couldn't let National Nurses Week go by without thanking the amazing nurses at Prevention Point Philadelphia. These nurses have met every new crisis that has emerged in Kensington with patience and determination. They treat people's wounds, connect patients to urgent care when needed, help patients living with HIV stay undetectable, support people in entering drug treatment, visit patients in the hospital, and more. We are humbled by their expertise and compassion every day.

Thanks to Michael for sharing your Sunshine Story with us. We all need a bit of hope this week.

We've been so happy to work with Michael, especially our Integrated Health Care Management team. People living outside in Kensington experience unimaginable mental, emotional, and physical trauma. Prevention Point is here to support them through it all, and guide them to an empowering and self-determined future............

Michael used to sleep on the streets, a knife tucked in the side of his wheelchair in case of attack, living in what he calls “Kill or Be Killed” mode. Now he has his own apartment in North Philadelphia.

He frequently skipped taking his prescribed anti-psychotic medications — sometimes forgetting, other times because of the expense — and he would punish himself for this oversight by swallowing razor blades. Today, his drug regimen is easier to follow and he feels better than he has in years.

When Michael was unhoused, he didn’t have family or friends to support him. Now he has the team at Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP).

“They’re just amazing people,” says Michael, 42, noting that Alison and Dee’s time and energy showed him that he mattered. “They put you before themselves.”

Read more:

Michael's Sunshine Story: "It's Like Night and Day" | Prevention Point Michael used to sleep on the streets, a knife tucked in the side of his wheelchair in case of attack, living in

PPP Community Cleanup with Roz Pichardo is TOMORROW! We meet at 9am at 2917 Kensington Ave. Details and volunteer registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Z1OwHTgogpd6yg9FDSIsv1dUWkzoNUtV--eD5fIKUSQ/edit
PPP Community Cleanup is a morning of service to our neighborhood. While we pick up trash and discarded syringes, we also check in on our unhoused neighbors and distribute Narcan. It's a great chance to ask Roz for an overdose reversal training. Hope to see you there.

Community Night TONIGHT at PPP’s Love Lot, 5-8pm. Dinner, wound care, showers, harm reduction supplies, clothing, love. 💜

We want to feature one more amazing staff member in honor of International Harm Reduction Day, which was yesterday. Meet Alfonzo Melendez! He is a PrEP and testing navigator. He ensures that patients at risk of acquiring HIV receive the resources, medication, and/or tools they need to maintain a negative status. If a patient tests positive for HIV, Alfonzo connects them to PPP's Sana Clinic to get the care they need to stay healthy.

"I’m not here to judge anyone — I am here to be a support system and to offer education. I try to ensure that participants are being safe if they’re using drugs and give them the resources they need. I want them to feel comfortable telling me if they’re not ready to stop using. I’m here to walk those steps with them, whether they're ready to enter recovery or not. I am mentally and emotionally present for them."

Our staff have built an Amazon wish list detailing the items most frequently requested by participants. This International Harm Reduction Day, support our lifesaving work through a gift from the list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/223ZAHA2JWF1H

Send to:
Prevention Point Philadelphia
Drop-In Center
2913-15 Kensington Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19134