Community Promise Stories: Enrique

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Enrique L. I’m 68, originally from Puerto Rico, although I came to New York 35 years ago.

What do you do for fun?

I like to clean and organize things around the house. And I like to cook traditional Puerto Rican food like arroz con gandules.

How did you come to find Alliance for Positive Change?

When I was released from prison in December, I was connected with Eugene, from Alliance’s Corrections Health Initiative. He helped me—I was incarcerated for a long time, so I’m not used to smart phones, and other stuff most people are.

We don’t have to get into the subject of your incarceration, unless you want to talk about it?

We can talk about it. I like to share my story. Maybe it can help someone else. I was addicted to heroin and crack. Getting high was the most important thing in my life, and, when I was living on the street, I killed someone for drugs. I was in prison for 27 years.

How did you come to start taking heroin and crack?

After I came to New York from Puerto Rico with my wife, about 35 years ago. I never did drugs before then, but I started hanging out other Nuyorican guys who were injecting heroin and kept pressuring me to try it. I thought they were my friends but when I said “no” they kept saying “just do it” and I finally said yes.

What is your current drug use?

None. I haven’t at all in like 10 years, even though drugs were around in prison. When I was using drugs, I would get angry and fight with my wife and my boss. I’m not usually like that, you can see, I’m a pretty quiet, calm guy. I didn’t feel like myself. I lost my wife and kids, my job, and was sleeping on the street, living only for heroin.

What was the biggest thing for your drug abstinence?

In prison, they offered prescription Suboxone (a prescribed Medication-assisted therapy made to reduce withdrawal cravings for opioids) and I took it because I didn’t want to feel that way again. I wanted to stop using. Drugs were around in prison, but I didn’t use much, and not at all in the last 10 years. I wanted to feel like myself again.

 As soon as I got released and found Alliance, I got a Suboxone treatment plan and I can pick it up every few weeks. It’s been easy.

Enrique with his Alliance case worker, Ana

Besides Suboxone, what else is an important part of your recovery?

Groups. I like to talk with the other people here, even the ones who are using. Just hearing their stories helps me. And my counselor, Ana. She’s great. We speak in Spanish, Spanglish, and English, whatever. 

I get supportive services because I have HIV. I got it from sharing needles when I was living on the street. I’m fine sharing that with anyone, I don’t have anything to hide.

Now that you’re feeling like Suboxone is working, what are some of your goals?

My kids. I was incarcerated most of their lives, but they see I'm not on drugs and we reconnected. I got to meet my grandson, which was—it was really special.

I can live on a fixed income and I’m about to move into my own apartment. With some privacy, I’m looking forward to having my children stay with me sometimes. I’m happy.

Alcohol Awareness Month at Alliance: Gertrude

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Yes. My name is Gertrude F. I’m turning 77 tomorrow. I was mostly raised in Alabama, but have been in New York most of my adult life. I have a life-long love of learning, and I’m still trying to get certifications.

You’ve done a lot of interesting things in your career, haven’t you?

Oh yes. I worked for the New York Transit Authority for many years. And recently, I’ve worked with kids in schools, in the Syracuse area. I have had problems with alcohol since I was 15 years old, but I was “functional” and could hold down a job. I worked my butt off, so if I came in to work late because I was drunk, I’d work all night, and then keep drinking.

How did you know drinking was a problem for you, and not just something you liked to do?

Because I needed it. When I wasn’t drinking, I craved it all the time.

And you’re in recovery now?

Yes. I’ve been in recovery lots of times. So many times. And the longer I lasted, the better I felt. Even when I’d relapse, I learned something from that particular time being sober. I’ve been hard on myself when I’ve relapsed, but I do think I’ve learned from every experience.

Is there a specific time you want to tell us about?

I think one of the biggest insights I’ve gained was in 1991, when I went to an alcohol treatment facility in Schenectady for 90 days. I got out, came back to Red Hook, where my sisters lived, and even though they never pressured me to drink, being around other people there I used to drink with was a trigger. I drank, did some drugs, and then immediately felt horrible and got on a bus to check myself back in at Schenectady. I realized that you can change your habits but as soon as you put yourself back in a familiar place or situation where you used to drink, that’s a big risk.

Another time, I was living at a facility for people with alcoholism in upstate New York, and was hired to be the “House Mother” supporting everyone else. I’ve always liked being busy, and being in shared housing with other people who are looking for structure. That was great. I was sober for over a year, but then the house was closed, and after I moved and didn’t have that structure I relapsed.

So that's a part of why you’ve mostly lived away from New York the past 30 years?

Kind of. I also found really meaningful work upstate, like the House Mother work.

And in the past few years, I was part of a “foster grandparent” program in the Syracuse public schools, where you work with kids who need a little extra love and support. The school teachers involved liked my participation, and last March, I got a Certificate of Recognition from the school district for my work with the kids, that I’m very proud of.

The teacher whose class I was assigned to was always encouraging me. That’s why I selected a photo of the two of us for this interview.

And that was right before your moved back to NYC?

Right, last Spring. I was matched with a Care Manager from Alliance for Positive Change, Zoilimar, who helped me get permanent housing at your supportive housing facility in PeIham.

You’re accessing a lot of Alliance services, huh?

Yes. I go for group therapy at Alliance CASA Washington Heights or Pelham every day except Thursday, but I go to a women’s group at a NewYork-Presbyterian hospital. I like to stay busy and engaged.

I also recently joined the Creative Writing Workshop, and was published in the new edition of Situations. I included a poem “An Ode to the Virus” that I wrote shortly after I was diagnosed with HIV in 1991.  

Are you also taking medication to help your alcohol dependence?

Yes, only since I started at Alliance. For years, I needed some mental health counseling, but I was in denial about also probably needing prescription medication, but I kind of overcame that denial. I’m currently taking Vivitrol, which is a once a month treatment.

Do you have any advice for someone else who has tried many times to get and stay sober?

IT IS POSSIBLE! Even if you don’t get it right the first time or first year, but keep trying. I tried it many times and I know that the longer I lasted, the better I felt. Try to learn from your experiences, like I did. My heart’s desire is that something in my story encourages someone to give themselves a chance. The disease is insidious. You can’t change just one thing and think that will fix everything. You have to adjust and readjust, but it’s workable.

Now that alcohol is not a part of your life, what are your goals?

I want to get healthy. I’ve had a lot of health problems, and want to take care of those. I also want to get my college degree—I have 90 credits and I want to graduate. I loved school all my life.

US Senators Schumer and Gillibrand Champion Funding for Alliance

Alliance for Positive Change has been awarded a federal funding allocation for our new Accessing Options for Opioid Management (Options) program, which expands access to trauma-informed harm reduction and substance use treatment for women living in New York City. Alliance’s Options provides supportive services for low-income cisgender and transgender women to navigate systemic inequities to health and well-being.

“We are grateful to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for investing in community-based organizations and allocating funding to advance health equity in New York,” said Brenda Starks-Ross, Alliance’s Deputy Executive Director and COO. “With this funding, Alliance will significantly expand our programming for women to explore options for harm reduction and substance use treatment in a safe, welcoming space. In the face of the overdose crisis, we advocate for the dignity, health, and safety of every individual’s chosen pathway to positive change.”

"All New Yorkers deserve to have access to medical, behavioral health and trauma-informed services," said Senator Gillibrand. "This investment in the Alliance for Positive Change Options program will advance health equity and provide women in New York City with expanded options for harm reduction and substance use treatment. I am proud to deliver this funding and will continue to fight for federal resources to improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers.”

“I am proud to support Alliance for Positive Change’s Options program to improve health outcomes for low-income, marginalized women with substance use disorder,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “With New York City experiencing a record number of overdose deaths each year, it is so important we continue to invest in community-based organizations combating the overdose crisis. This $500,000 in federal funding will expand access to Alliance’s opioid management program and help New Yorkers overcome barriers to equitable healthcare. I won’t stop fighting to deliver the resources needed to support local organizations like Alliance and their work to help the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

Alliance’s Options creates a safe space for women to receive support and resources that address underlying trauma, depression, stigma, and substance use. By addressing social determinants of health—such as food insecurity, housing instability, violence, trauma, and poverty—Options will improve access to medical and behavioral health and recovery support services. Alliance’s Options leverages Peer-led learning among program participants and staff where women can receive support and resources that will result in reduced hospitalizations, reduced emergency room utilization, and improved health outcomes for women in New York.

Overdose deaths in New York City continue to rise. The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene reports that in 2022, there were 3,026 overdose deaths in New York City, an increase of 12 percent from 2021 and the highest number on record since reporting began in 2000. Alliance’s Options program will address this concerning trend by providing New Yorkers who use drugs with health care, connection to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), recovery support, Peer counseling, and other vital services.

Women’s History Month at Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center: Evelyn

Women’s History Month is a chance to honor the progress of women across all fields. Women have played tremendous roles in the history of all the services that Alliance provides, including HIV testing, treatment, awareness, and advocacy; income equality; fair housing; and more. In the field of harm reduction, women have led agencies from the National Harm Reduction Coalition to Harm Reduction International and New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition.

Participants at Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center shared their experiences and perspectives during Women’s History Month.

Evelyn M.

Q: Hi Evelyn. Thanks for talking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: Well, I’m 64 year-old Nuyorican. I live in the neighborhood, just a few blocks away.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?

A: I like going on long walks, fixing things like broken furniture, and being with my sisters, who live further up the East Side. But when I’m on drugs, I avoid them. I don’t want my problem to become theirs.

Q: How long have you been coming to Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center?

A: I started coming here a little more than a year ago. I get safer smoking supplies like pipes, and I get counseling and care management services here. I get Methadone at a clinic nearby, but it’s not enough to help me overcome drugs, which is my goal.

Q: What other resources do you think will help you with your sobriety goals?

A: I think I have a better chance if I move somewhere else. Being around the same people that I’ve done drugs with is enabling my habits, I’ve got to move somewhere else. NYCHA has approved me for a housing transfer, but I haven’t been able to find somewhere closer to my sisters.

Q: Affordable housing is complicated.

A: Yeah, it is. Ana, my counselor, and my case worker Luis, are amazing. They help me get my benefits. And Luis is trying to help me get me into Bellevue Hospital’s detox program. They check in every day they see me, and try to get me a bed, because I’ve got to detox, I have to. He got me a telehealth appointment and sat with me the whole time, for my Bellevue screening. But I don’t want to go to detox until I can move somewhere away from the people that enable my addiction, so it’s all pretty complicated.

Q: Besides being with people that you feel enable your drug use, what are your biggest triggers?

A: Feeling depressed, and anxious. Talking to Ana and a psychiatrist helps, but I can’t do that every second.

Q: You’re a participant in our CHOICES Medication-Assisted Treatment program, right? How does that fit into your life?

A: Yeah, I like going to groups to hear other people’s stories. Listening helps.

Q: Are there any specific services just for women that you can get here?

A: I like that we have a women’s group here, to discuss what’s going on in our lives. I like that there’s a clothing room here and we can get clean pads and panties.

Q: In your experience, what are some of the challenges that women who use drugs face more than men?

A: I think women who are on parole or actively using drugs have a harder time getting hired for jobs than men in the same situation. I think people underestimate us a lot.

Q: Since it’s Women’s History Month, can you tell us who are some of your sheroes?

A: Definitely Helen Keller. She was so brave and overcame so much.

Q: If you weren’t using actively, how would life be different?

A: Well I would spend more time with my sisters, going to amusement parks and movies, like we do when I’m sober. And I also want to move out to Pennsylvania to be near my son and grandkids. They’re out in the country, I think that would be nice, relaxing for me.

Women’s History Month at Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center: Cecilia

Women’s History Month is a chance to honor the progress of women across all fields. Women have played tremendous roles in the history of all the services that Alliance provides, including HIV testing, treatment, awareness, and advocacy; income equality; fair housing; and more. In the field of harm reduction, women have led agencies from the National Harm Reduction Coalition to Harm Reduction International and New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition.

Participants at Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center shared their experiences and perspectives during Women’s History Month.

Cecelia C.

Q: Hi Cecilia. Thanks for talking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: Sure. I’m 53 years old. I’m multiracial. I live in the neighborhood here, near Chinatown and the LES.

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: I like to cook, exercise, go bowling, go to the beach, see movies, lots of stuff. I’m very clean and like to have order--I have a lot of OCD, haha.

Cecilia

Q: What have been your drugs of choice?

A: Heroin has always been the big one. I was addicted and living on the streets, and a few years ago I legally died for 10 minutes during an overdose. When I was revived I decided I wanted to cut back on my use and eventually stop all together.

Q: In your experience, what are some of the challenges that women who use drugs face more than men?

A: I can’t speak for all women, but I was raped on the streets. I was living on the streets for two years. And I’ve been in toxic relationships, which have always been one of the big triggers for my relapsing or using way too much. I want to feel like my true self, and stay away from these triggers.

Q: How long have you been coming to Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center?

A: I’ve been coming here regularly for a little over a year now. I knew for a while that I wanted to change the way I was living and stop using drugs. I was tired of using drugs and not feeling like myself. I saw the LES Harm Reduction Center because I live in the neighborhood and immediately was welcomed.

Q: Since you said you’re trying to stop taking opioids, what does your treatment plan look like?

A: I’ve been on Methadone for a while (not through Alliance), and it helps control my cravings, but I don’t want to be dependent on any substance anymore. My Methadone prescription used to be 80, now it’s down to 60, and eventually I’m going to get it down to 0. And Ana, my counselor that we’re here talking with, is amazing. She connects me with the right people to access my benefits. I feel comfortable with her because she’s supportive and gives me good feedback.

Q: And have there been any big challenges in your treatment?

A: Nothing major. I’m very strong-minded. I have goals. I’m trying to get my kids back. They’re in foster care now.

Q: Finally, since it’s Women’s History Month, can you tell us who are some of your sheroes?

A: My shero is my godmother. She has always been very supportive. So is my younger sister, who is the mother of two kids with autism.

Cecilia with Ana (Edmonds)

Alliance Weather Advisory for Tuesday, February 13

Due to weather conditions in New York City, Alliance offices and community center sites are working with limited staff tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13rd.

Staff are working remotely so if you need service, please reach out to your case manager via phone. If possible, try to stay inside and limit your exposure to the cold. Alliance community centers will reopen on Wednesday, February 14th.

Ashley New York Times LTE on Narcan Saving Lives in Nightclubs

“When I worked in some of New York City’s largest clubs in the early 2000s, I saw the importance of keeping Narcan on hand. At venues where we didn’t have it, people who overdosed were often sneaked out back doors and left by dumpsters until a private ambulance service arrived,” says Outreach Coordinator Ashley Lynch in a letter to the editor published today in The New York Times.

“At more proactive places that stocked Narcan and wanted employees to be trained on how to use it, overdoses were reversed inside even before paramedics arrived. It was the responsible thing to do”.

Alliance Peer Nicky Bravo Pens Op-ed for AM New York on Peer Outreach

Alliance Peer Nicky Bravo shared her perspective on how Peer health outreach has helped her support vulnerable New Yorkers, and manage her own health needs, in a powerful op-ed in AM New York. As an Alliance Peer, Nicky has helped hundreds of New Yorkers navigate systemic inequities to improve their health outcomes. Thank you Nicky!

I found a community that supports and trusts me

I learned about Alliance for Positive Change from a friend in 2007. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to attend a group meeting to see if Alliance could help me with the substance use issues I was experiencing at that time.

I am so glad I decided to take a chance with Alliance! I found a community where I felt supported and believed in. I also found my ultimate calling in life: helping others facing similar challenges.

SUPPORT MY WORK

In the first phase of my Alliance journey, I worked in the Basic Needs Department. I got my food handler’s license and served meals to Alliance’s participants. After gaining that work experience, I moved on to another job for a few years, but always felt I was on a hamster wheel. After speaking with a friend who was an Alliance Peer, I enrolled in Alliance’s Peer training program.
 
I made the right choice coming back to Alliance. I felt so at home at Alliance’s LES Harm Reduction Center. I honed my Peer superpowers of active listening and resourcefulness. I help whoever comes through these doors—no matter what challenges they face—with whatever they need, whether that's a support group or medication-assisted treatment to stop or reduce their drug use.

Alliance has helped me maintain my well-being. If you don’t have your health, you can't help yourself or others. 

I am one of thousands of people whose lives changed thanks to Alliance's caring community. That’s why I’m asking you to generously support us this holiday season. You have the superpower to change lives by donating today at www.alliance.nyc/power.

Thank you for being our valued partner in positive change!

Celeste C.
Alliance Peer Superhero
P.S. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible. Visit www.alliance.nyc/power to learn more!

Thanks and well-wishes for Shantae Owens on his next chapter

Alliance is grateful to Shantae Owens for his more than a decade of outstanding work as a harm reduction Peer outreach worker. In that time, he has saved dozens of lives by acting fast to reverse overdoses, and has helped other people access essential harm reduction services to prevent overdoses in the first place. As he moves on to an exciting new position with our friends at VOCAL-NY, here’s what his colleagues had to say about Shantae:

“Floyd—my mentor,—and Shantae  are the best colleagues, great friends, and my famila. Over the past 2 years I've learned so many unique things about harm reduction and prevention thanks to these two wonder men. Both are harm working compassionate people who have went up and above to assist clients and do-workers alike. Providing tool to essentially help individuals grow and make better Choices. Thank you two guys for your service, love and,  support” —George

Shantae is a person you would want to learn or teach you about anything about saving a life is heart of gold proves that and he one of most pleasant person to be around and for Floyd theres nothing but nice things and encouraging word you can get from him if you want to stay on the right track you should call on him”—Bernice

"Shantae really cares about helping people. He doesn't mind opening up and making himself vulnerable, which helps other people do the same. He's got a good sense of humor and a great heart" —Dan

“Floyd and Shante were like family and still are to me Floyd was my mentor and my teacher I felt comfortable enough to come to him for anything his vast knowledge I will miss and the stories he used to tell Shantae always made me laugh and we met during training on 35th and 8th Ave  and he suggested I come to LESHRC and history was made I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to send them my good wishes they will always have a place in my heart I miss them”—Celeste

We’ll miss seeing you every day, Shantae, but are excited for your next chapter!