How I Started

You’d never guess it now, but I once lived consumed by rage and disgust—angry at the world and disheartened by the people in it. I faced rejection, discrimination, and hatred from society, all while battling homelessness. At my lowest point, I nearly lost all hope.

Then, one day, everything changed.

I was introduced to harm reduction and the transformative practices that define it. Through volunteering with a local Syringe Service Provider (SSP) and working as a research assistant on an opioid overdose study in Riverside County, I began to see things differently. Suddenly, it all clicked. The anger and bitterness I had carried for so long were not only unproductive but a barrier to the life I wanted to build.

What truly changed everything for me was the radical acceptance, unwavering support, and the ability to meet my basic needs more consistently, thanks to the incredible team I worked with. It was a revelation: sometimes, all it takes for someone to turn their life around is compassion, support, and stability.

This wasn’t the story I had grown up believing about myself, but it became the one I was determined to rewrite. In that pivotal moment, I found my purpose. My mission in life became clear: to show others that love is far more powerful than hate, and that acceptance and support are the foundations upon which people find the strength not only to survive but to thrive.