Racial Equity Advancement in Communities through Harm Reduction in Pennsylvania (REACH PA)

Racial Equity Advancement in Communities through Harm Reduction in Pennsylvania (REACH PA)

Funder: Vital Strategies and The Scattergood Foundation

Status: Completed (awards made in 2024)

Geographic Scope: Pennsylvania (statewide)

Focus Areas:

Addressing overdose deaths in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities

Promoting harm reduction approaches to substance use

Advancing racial equity

Reducing disparities in overdose deaths

Background:
The United States is experiencing the worst overdose crisis in its history, with over 100,000 lives lost nationally in 2022. Pennsylvania experienced more than 5,100 overdose deaths in 2022, with overdose death rates among Black Pennsylvanians more than double that of white residents. The overdose rate for Black Pennsylvanians has almost doubled since 2018, while the rate for white Pennsylvanians has remained relatively stable.

Eligible Applicants:

Community-based organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

Partnerships led by BIPOC

Funding Details:

Total Fund: $450,000

Award Amount: Up to $50,000 per grantee

Number of Grantees: Up to 9 organizations selected through competitive RFP process

Grant Period: One year (through December 2024)

Allowable Use of Funds:

Community training and education

Community organizing and base-building

Direct service provision

Capacity building

Other innovative, community-rooted strategies

Example Projects Funded:

Mobile and street outreach

Door-to-door outreach for substance use and overdose prevention education

Naloxone and test strip distribution

Public service announcements

Expansion of bilingual services and written resources

Peer-led harm reduction programs

Rolling engagement vans (REV) for community services

Pre-release and re-entry support services

Nine Grantees Selected:
1. 1Hood Media Academy – Pittsburgh
2. AIDS Care Group – Chester
3. Casa San Jose – Pittsburgh
4. Men of the Community – Erie
5. Philadelphia Black Women's Health Alliance – Philadelphia
6. Project SAFE – Philadelphia
7. Unidos, Inc. – Allentown
8. Why Not Prosper, Inc. – Philadelphia
9. Womxn Beyond Borders – West Philadelphia and Lancaster

Technical Assistance:
The Scattergood Foundation provided technical assistance, training opportunities, and convenings to build harm reduction capacity across the Commonwealth.

Contact Information:

Email: info@vitalstrategies.org

Phone: +1 212 500 5720

Address: 100 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York NY 10005 USA