Chapter of the Week: UCLA

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 chapter at UCLA! We spoke with chapter co-president Lauren Kim about fundraisers, cultivating community, and more.

What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?

As a freshman at UCLA, I knew I wanted to get involved on campus and make a lasting positive impact in the community. However, at such a big university, it can be difficult to find an organization that is the right fit, both in mission and community. That's why it felt so serendipitous when I found End Overdose. Someone I knew had recently passed away due to an opioid overdose, and I knew I wanted to get involved with overdose prevention and response in some way. At around the same time, one of my close friends, Maddie Ward, co-founded the UCLA chapter of End Overdose. I applied to the leadership team, and the rest is history. 

Can you describe your experience as chapter president of UCLA?

My experience as a co-president of the UCLA chapter has been extremely rewarding. It's been such an amazing experience to be able to provide life-saving knowledge and resources to the UCLA community, and I've met so many amazing students, faculty, and staff in the process. One of my favorite things we get to do as a chapter is put on our quarterly fundraiser because we get to organize a fun event and connect directly with our community while raising money for a great cause. I feel so thankful to have such a dedicated and awesome leadership team and a great community of general members--none of the work we do would be possible without them. 

How have you developed authentic connections within the community?

We've cultivated connections within our community through outreach. It's been so heartwarming to experience the generosity and kindness of other organizations on campus, whether they are student- or staff-run. UCLA has a great network of student health and harm reduction organizations, and we've been able to develop several connections through that network. Outreach has also allowed us to develop connections with individuals, as well, whether it be band members who are generous enough to give their time playing at benefit concerts we've put on or staff members who are spearheading movements to make overdose prevention resources more available on campus. 

What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?

My personal favorite moments from our chapter's work so far have been our fundraisers and our trainings. As I mentioned before, fundraisers are awesome because we get to bring people together for a good cause. To date, we've put on benefit concerts and flea markets, and I love being able to combine art and expression with overdose prevention. Trainings have been another highlight for me because I feel they're at the core of what we're really about as a chapter and an organization, and being able to connect with other people and teach them how to save a life has truly been a humbling experience. 

What do you envision for the future of your chapter?

Although I'm graduating from UCLA in a few months, and I'll be sad to say goodbye to this chapter, I hope it will continue to grow. It's been amazing to see our chapter grow from a small leadership team at its inception into what it is today, and I have full faith in our new leadership team and general members to continue our mission in the years to come. Although progress has been made here at UCLA, there is still much more to be done. I know the UCLA chapter will continue to recruit genuine, motivated, and kindhearted individuals who care about the wellbeing of their community and who will continue to make a difference.