Summer Recap
Happy Autumn, readers! We’re sorry to be getting the Summer Update to you so late, but we’ve been prioritizing the growth in our ground programs and have some exciting updates to share with you today.
On July 11, we hosted our very first public fundraiser at El Rio, an SF bar known for its inclusive, diverse scene and for giving back to the community by hosting events for underfunded nonprofits. And it was a huge success!
As described in our last blog post, we were required to assemble at least thirty people to attend the Happy Hour event in order for El Rio to donate 30% of the night’s proceeds to Mother Angela’s. We blew it out of the park with nearly sixty attendees, plus a few dozen strangers who happily joined the festivities once they saw the commotion.
Most of the 3-hour event was characterized by friends and acquaintances mingling, looking through the Harm Reduction resources and Resource Pamphlet examples we brought, and discussing the overlap of poverty and chronic health issues in our cities. El Rio served beverages and oysters, a Mother Angela’s donor provided free pizza, and we held a raffle for various local prizes, which ended up out-raising the 30% donation from El Rio!
Towards the conclusion of the Happy Hour, a nurse practitioner and friend of the nonprofit demonstrated how to administer naloxone (narcan) to someone experiencing an overdose, complete with a medical explanation of how the life-saving drug works for those curious. This segment was wildly popular, and was met with intense engagement, followup questions and heightened interest in Harm Reduction. We could not be happier with how the fundraiser went and how we’ve been able to use the funds to expand our programming. Huge thanks to El Rio for hosting us!
harm reduction flyers, resource pamphlets & raffle displayed moments before the 4-7pm Happy Hour fundraiser began
Thanks in large part to the fundraiser, we were finally able to print the long-anticipated SF Resource Pamphlets this summer, meaning the RP program is now active in both of our cities. As we’ve already distributed several thousand (and counting) pamphlets in New Orleans in addition to incorporating the SF Pamphlets into our existing activities up here this summer, the program has rapidly become our most successful endeavor. I am so thrilled the pamphlets for both cities finally exist, and can’t wait to acquire new resources to make them even more helpful to our communities in the future (having versions in 2+ languages in Nola and 4+ languages in SF would be ideal).
outside of the tri-fold SF Resource Pamphlets
inside of the tri-fold SF Resource Pamphlets
It has been particularly rewarding that the SF Pamphlets have already received great feedback from recipients, which brings us to our next update. Mother Angela’s has begun hosting a support group for those facing chronic health challenges at the Felicia Flames House, LYRIC’s shelter for trans and nonbinary transitional-aged youth (roughly 18-26 year olds). The Health Resources group meetings have been both cathartic and productive in a tangible way, with opportunities each session for facilitated discussion, free sharing and reviewing the Resource Pamphlets to point out sections with relevant aid. The residents have so far had nothing but praise for the pamphlets, and they are given every opportunity to provide constructive criticism in order for the pamphlets to be improved. The sessions have also proved a wonderful opportunity to spread the ideals of Harm Reduction and discuss how we can all support each other in our journeys to bettering our health.
While we don’t currently have the ground support or funds to bring our Harm Reduction practices or Health Resources Support Group to New Orleans, we’re continuing our mini-community-event campaign down there, which is essentially comprised of Mutual Aid pop-ups around the city. We’ve been collecting goods from the wealthy to distribute to the community in high-traffic spots– think WalMart and Save-A-Lot parking lots, community centers, playgrounds/courtyards in dense neighborhoods, etc. It has become our philosophy that the most effective way to make mutual aid helpful instead of a wild goose chase is to slip it into everyday activities in this fashion. If you or your loved ones live in New Orleans and would like to donate any clothing, toiletries or other supplies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to hannah@motherangelas.org or (415) 213-2840.
Thank you all again for your continued support of our endeavors at Mother Angela’s, and we will see you in the Autumn Update blog post and newsletter in a few months!
PS– Don’t forget to follow @motherangelas_foundation on Instagram (and engage with our content!) if you use social media :)
