Hampton Roads Harm Reduction

🚨new phone number alert! 🚨 we can be reached by calling or texting us at (757) 299-0870!! we’re a lil group of volunteers so we appreciate everyone’s patience for us to respond in advance!

new year’s resolution to get involved in the community but don’t have the time or the energy? consider donating to a local initiative such as ours! 💸

Some weekend thoughts as inspired by the intersection of harm reduction and mutual aid. Want to learn more? Come see what we’re up to at our next free Narcan/stop the bleed training, Monday, July 29 at 5:30 PM @meaculpacafe !! ** “liberatory harm reduction” was coined by Shira Hassan. Go read Shira’s work immediately. #harmreduction #solidaritynotcharity #hamptonroads

April 18: @offtherecord.va distribution at @8020burgerbar at 9 PM April 19: Norfolk distribution with @auntieadvocate1 at 12 PM April 25: Free Resource Pop Up @seldenmarket hosted by @blksunday_ and @kuumbastudio at 12 PM April 26: Storyboard at 1:30 PM, led by @recoveringezra April 26: Virtual Queer Meet Up at 4 PM, led by @recoveringezra @queercommunityhub April 26: @tappedin757 distribution outside @thebirdva at 7 PM May 6: Oceanview distribution at @cafe.mudita at 7 PM May 10: Mutual Aid Network Meeting at 4 PM @eleanorsnfk @hr_mutualaid May 21: @utopiafeni distribution @a.c.e.us at 7PM

In one week!! Join us at South Norfolk Memorial Library next Sunday, March 29 at 1:30 for conversation about recovery …which looks different for everyone. Led by @recoveringezra , sobriety not required.

Hello peeps! How is everyone doing? ✨ The Queer Community Hub is here to invite y’all to March’s QMU! We are excited to announce that we will be hosting this event at @eleanorsnfk 🌸 Show and Tell is the theme for our March QMU. We are inspired from the February QMU and want to continue building our getting-to-know with each other. Show and Tell will showcase our stories of queerness by tapping into what speaks to us. We would like to use this theme to give yall the chance to connect and learn with everyone. We will also be bringing narcan supplies, fentanyl test strips and some other supplies in support of harm reduction 💘 We hope y’all would bring something special to you that showcases your queerness and as an expression of yourselves. 🫂 Please join us and support our community! #757queers #queercommunityhub

Happy March! We wanna hold this space for our queer folks to share and lay their hair down to vent 🎙️ and express what grinds their gears. The requirements for this event are: — compassion, openness, empathy, respect and fun! 🤩 🏳️‍🌈 EDIT: There is a registration link so you could join! https://zoom.us/meeting/register/cdFCzzI-Qf2ZXuNhpPryFA (it will be available on our bio!) This event will be held online, we will send out the Zoom link to folks who want to join or you could register through the link in our bio. Please DM us “Vent” to receive the link! See ya! ✌🏾 #757queers #ventingsessiononline #queercommunityhub

Hi gays and guys and they/thems! March is oncoming OMFGGGGG! We are excited to announce our March events! Our Feb QMU was a true and inspiring hit. I love all of you! Please send us a DM or an email if you have any questions! Thank you folkssss! #757queers #queercommunityhub

per the distinguished bird, there’s a lot of stuff happening this sunday, february 22!! Storyboard: A Space To Talk About Recovery at 1:30 PM with @recoveringezra at South Norfolk Library. Queer Meet Up from 3 to 5 PM with @queercommunityhub and @eleanorsnfk Distribution @thebirdva on Colley Ave for @tappedin757 (we’re giving away free narcan, test strips, condoms and more) from 7 to 11 PM.

for those new to harm reduction, please check out this piece written by @saintmorrissey , originally published in the @lgbtlifecenter newsletter. be sure to give Rayah a follow to read more of their work! while hampton roads harm reduction does not have the capacity/resources to implement all of the practices mentioned above, we do support these ideas. a final note on language: harm reduction is a space for very fluid language (see our previous post on the fluidity of the word “recovery”). some people in the space, including users and those in recovery, use the phrase “substance abuse” while others do not. stay open-minded about the people you’re in community with. if they’re willing to share, take the time to get to know why an individual may or may not prefer certain language. you’ll probably have an interesting conversation.

free narcan training this friday in virginia beach @thestockpotvb at 4:30 PM! we’ll go over how to identify an opioid overdose, how to use narcan, as well as aftercare and general harm reduction basics. open to everyone and we’ll have free narcan to give away! led by @recoveringezra .

For the remaining days in February, here’s what we got: Friday, February 13 at 4:30: Free Narcan Training open to the public (how to identify an opioid overdose & use narcan) @thestockpotvb in Virginia Beach. Sunday, February 22 at 1:30 PM: Storyboard: A Space To Talk About Recovery. We’ll be talking about recovery through a harm reduction lens. Recovery varies per person and it does not mean sobriety for everyone. This conversation is for anyone who uses (or previously used) alcohol and drugs and is interested in harm reduction. Led by @recoveringezra at South Norfolk Library in Chesapeake. Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 PM: Queer Meet Up until 5 PM with @queercommunityhub . Will be held @eleanorsnfk in Norfolk. Flag making, open discussion, letters to ancestors and more. Sunday, February 22 at 7:00 PM: Distribution outside @thebirdva on Colley Ave for @tappedin757 . Come get supplies and check out local creatives! We’ll have narcan, test strips, condoms and more. Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 AM: Morning distribution of supplies (narcan, test strips, condoms and more) in Norfolk on the corner of Sater Street and Virginia Beach Boulevard. Saturday, February 28 at 9:00 PM: Distribution @8020burgerbar on West 21st Street in Norfolk for @offtherecord.va