Philly ResPOND (Residents Preventing Overdose with Naloxone Distribution)

Lead organization: The University of Pennsylvania Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI) and its Healthy Library Initiative
Partner organizations: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Free Library of Philadelphia
Website: http://www.healthylibrary.org/
Grant amount: $25,000
Project description: This project will raise public awareness and expand journalism and information sharing around a grassroots effort to equip more Philadelphians with naloxone, a drug that counters the effect of opioid overdoses, that will track people trained, encourage naloxone-carrying “commitment pledges” and tell stories of lives saved
Why we’re supporting this project: Our goal with this grant is to combine the forces of a major healthcare institution, a major news organization, and a major library system to address a critical public health crisis, affecting communities of color and Philadelphia’s most vulnerable. This is principally an experiment at the intersection of public health and journalism, which we believe will serve and engage all demographics within the city