Chapter of the Week: Cleveland

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 Millennials, 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, our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.

Today, we're proud to highlight our Cleveland chapter! We spoke with chapter president Mercee Randall about nightlife outreach, hosting events to train hundreds of community members, and much more.

What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular? I have followed End Overdose on social media for years and have always loved what they stood for. The approach they use to tackle the overdose crisis is innovative and community-focused, which stood out to me. Unfortunately, Cleveland experiences high rates of overdose and drug use. So, when I saw that they were opening up applications for new chapters, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew that the city would benefit from EO and the resources it brought.

Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Cleveland? Being president of the Cleveland chapter has been such a meaningful experience. I have enjoyed sharing my passion for public health and overdose prevention with my executive members and seeing it take root and develop in them, too. Their dedication to this chapter has made leading this chapter extremely rewarding. Originally, our team was aiming to become a college chapter, but we encountered some setbacks that prevented us from doing so this year. I am so grateful for the team’s flexibility and willingness to adjust as needed, and I’m excited to watch the chapter develop in the next few years.

How have you developed authentic connections within the community? So far, the chapter has focused on outreach with student life and student-led organizations. We have reached out to nightlife and have some events planned for the fall, which we are super excited about. This role has allowed me to connect with the city in a way that I hadn’t before. Doing outreach and having conversations with people who have been affected by the overdose epidemic has given me the chance to develop a greater appreciation for Cleveland. Working together to mitigate this crisis has cultivated a sense of unity throughout the community. What are the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date? Despite getting a slow start to our chapter, I am incredibly proud of what the team has been able to achieve in such a short amount of time. We have hosted five events this year and have been able to train over 250 people in overdose response and prevention. One of my favorite things about training people is that it opens up such meaningful conversations. EO isn’t just about distributing supplies and teaching people how to use them. It creates opportunities where people can share their own stories and connect with our mission in a personal way. Having these conversations encourages me to be a leader and advocate for the community here. What do you envision for the future of your chapter? I look forward to seeing this chapter grow and mature in the upcoming years. My hope is that the groundwork our team lays down now will allow this chapter to flourish later on. An initiative I envision for this chapter is expanding our outreach to high schools. Educating the younger generation of Cleveland about overdose prevention is essential to create a more proactive and informed community. In providing the younger generation with life-saving knowledge, we can reduce stigma and work to protect the future of Cleveland.