End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennial communities, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. With 50 chapters nationwide, members and volunteers are committing hours upon hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.
This week, we're proud to highlight our Bay Area chapter! Founded by president Ben Compton, he was inspired to make a difference with End Overdose in the wake of his experience as an educator. He is leading the charge to regularly make training available to vulnerable populations impacted by fentanyl inside and outside of the dance community.
EO: What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?
Ben Compton: For two reasons. The first is that I was originally drawn to End Overdose as someone who lives a rave/festival lifestyle and loves expanding my rave posse. I want to continue to do this for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to do it alone. To grow the rave community, it that requires everyone is safe. The second is that, as an educator, and through my time with End Overdose, I’ve discovered that there are too many vulnerable populations that are impacted by fentanyl outside of just the dance community. Everyone deserves access to an education, regardless of their lifestyle choices or the hand that they were dealt. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to be helping to educate the community and just seems like an obvious decision.
EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of EO bay area?
Ben Compton: As a brand-new chapter, my main goal so far has been to begin to build our group of volunteers. Luckily, in only a month we have had almost 10 individuals reach out about wanting to get involved. At the end of the day, a chapter can only accomplish as much as it hopes if it has amazing volunteers, and so far, things are looking great on that front!
EO: How has it been building the chapter from the ground up?
BC: Fortunately, I was able to get involved with the Boston chapter, in which I worked closely with their chapter president, Ben Lewis. As mentioned, our organization can only go as far as the volunteers take it, so seeing the impact, passion, and structure of the Boston chapter firsthand allowed a blueprint for what I hope for our new Bay Area chapter.
EO: Where can you use support?
BC: We simply need to grow our numbers. We have volunteers all over the Bay Area, but the Bay Area is so large and has such a large and diverse population. Through volunteers we get connections to different organizations, venues, or social spaces that work with us to make sure everyone and every community can be safe. EO: How have you developed authentic connections within the community?
BC: Just like social connections, I have begun to develop connections within the community by simply starting conversations with those I meet while out in the Bay Area, whether that is during a volunteering shift or in my own personal life. Most of the connections so far have been in person, but I am not shy to send a DM on Insta or to send emails. People are either willing to work with us or not, so there’s no reason to be shy about inquiring!
EO: You’ve set up some amazing collaborations and events. What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date, whether it’s in night life or the general community?
BC: The biggest event thus far has been Portola, in which a handful of our volunteers got the opportunity to work. Being our first festival in the area, we were able to distribute over 1800 naloxone, while also recruiting new volunteers and connecting with local organizations. It was our first chance to really show the Bay Area that we are here and always ready to talk, educate, and welcome anyone in.
EO: What do you envision for the future of your chapter?
In the short term, we are hoping to get a few regularly scheduled events with local organizations or venues that we can table at. In the long haul, it would be amazing to be connected and working with numerous entities, both in the nightlife community, the social work community, and the medical community. We are here to serve the entire Bay Area, so until we have the luxury of being overwhelmed with requests, we have a lot of work to do!