Find Your Path Donations/Fund
Background & History of Find Your Path Pilot Program:
The North Clinton Avenue community became overwhelmed with challenges as the opioid crisis exploded. In the Fall of 2016, as a direct response to resident voice, the NE Neighborhood Service Center convened stakeholders to include Rochester city staff, addiction services, community-based organizations, and the county health department to address a service gap in outreach services on the N. Clinton Avenue Corridor. The group, now coined “Find Your Path” (FYP), has focused its efforts on what can be done NOW with existing programs, personal connections and resources to address the current epidemic, reduce substance use in our community and link those suffering with substance use disorder with the appropriate level of recovery services and basic/critical necessities.
The FYP Pilot Project team moved into a donated office space at 1164 N. Clinton Avenue and began its outreach efforts on July 11, 2017; Meeting every Tuesday since then from 10am-2pm. Often the engagement with program participants occurs well beyond the “official” outreach days to include various points throughout the week (24/7) helping individuals to attend appointments with DHS, outpatient treatment providers, inpatient treatment intake appointments and many other necessary services. Often times acting as not only an advocate, but the sole point of contact linking the individual with the treatment/services provider as many of our participants are homeless, without a phone or permanent mailing address. Our transportation expenses, food and water, reference materials, signage and flyers are all purchased through private donations or out-of-pocket by the volunteers themselves. The program model has proven to be successful—making contact with more than 40 individuals seeking assistance to date, with several finding their path to recovery and getting connected to critical services and resources.
The Northeast Quadrant Neighborhood Service Center is connected to the City Hall Service Center and is located a few blocks away from some of the biggest heroin challenges in the city, with about 70% of heroin-related arrests in Rochester occurring in this area in recent years. Complaints are lodged regularly about used needles on playgrounds, school grounds, in public spaces, and around vacant/uninhabited properties. We are working diligently as a community to change this.
WATCH THESE STORIES FOR MORE ABOUT FYP:
http://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/community-outreach-program-aiming-to-reduce-addiction-in-rochester/880107405
http://www.whec.com/news/volunteers-streets-drug-infested-neighborhood/4715885/
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