*EVENT* Rally for Public Heath & Safety: Supporting Syringe Exchange for Stanislaus County!

DATE:      February 1, 2010
TIME:      Noon
WHERE:  Stanislaus County Courthouse
                Corner of 11th and I Street
                Downtown Modesto

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Come join those in our community concerned with the public health, safety, & wellness of Stanislaus County. We will rally in support of HEP C and HIV/AIDS education &prevention through SYRINGE EXCHANGE AUTHORIZATION on FEBRUARY 1st starting at NOON (speakers @ 12:45). Volunteers arrested at a Syringe Exchange Program at Mono Park in April 2009 will attend a hearing inside at 1:30 to find out if they will be allowed to use a defense of medical necessityn when they go to trial March 23. This is a crucial phase in the misdemeanor case against the public health workers. 

Meet in front of the Stanislaus County Courthouse on the corner of 11th & I in Downtown Modesto for an afternoon of solidarity against an emerging public health crisis. Come out and support common sense change for a better Stanislaus County!

• 60-90% of  injection drug users have Hepatitis C.
• Hepatitis is called the "Giant in the Closet" by Stanislaus County Health Services Agency in 2008 - it is the #2 infectious disease in the county. 
• The Central Valley is home to the highest rates of injection drug use in the nation.
• Injection drug related HIV/AIDS cases in Stanislaus County are among the highest in California.

But in 2008, Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors denied the Civil Grand Jury recommendations, ignored a laundry list of experts from both here and abroad, and voted against this widespread, valid, & absolutely necessary DISEASE PREVENTION tool.

SEPs provide valuable health and social services for pennies in comparison, saving taxpayers countless dollars. Prevention is far less expensive than any kind of treatment! And for many stigmatized individuals, families, and communities syringe exchange programs are their only bridge to education, empowerment, and hope. SEPs do not increase drug use, crime, or danger to communities, and they do not glamorize a lifestyle.

In fact, the very opposite is true.

For more information about what we do, to tell us your stories, volunteer, or for sources of information listed here, please contact us!

This is for real.

Off the Streets Gains Its First Teen Volunteers! How EXCITING!!!

We are proud to welcome our first two teen volunteers to the Off the Streets family!

They represent both Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties and are really eager to get to work. The teens will be focusing on media, outreach and education, administrative assistance, and event planning. This is so huge to us here at Off the Streets! As their adult allies, we appreciate their willingness to engage in their community and learn something new. They totally kick and we can't wait to see what they accomplish, not only here at Off the Streets, but in their lives!

All of our teen volunteers are given opportunities to:

• Learn a variety of new skills
• Be exposed to and connected with practical and up to date information, relevant research, other community members and leaders, and a variety of expert-level resources throughout the world
• Collaborate within the community in a variety of ways
• Attend valuable trainings - generally at no cost
• Perhaps most importantly, young people will be encouraged to share their already developed skills and interests in a meaningful way
• And more! The possibilities are endless ... it just depends on who comes out!

Volunteer experiences with Off the Streets also look good on resumes and college applications, and sound good in an interview. We offer really strong volunteer opportunities - plus we have a lot of fun! Seriously, check it out!!!

• If you or a young person you know is interested in finding out more please contact us!!! You won't regret it!!
• offthestreetsproject@yahoo.com
• Become a fan on facebook from this site, in the left hand column. And suggest us to friends!

Volunteers Needed - It's a Good Gig!!

What is Off the Streets Project? That is a good question. We are many things! Off the Streets is a volunteer-based action team-slash-think tank-slash-group of community educators, neighborhood beautifiers, health professionals, and experienced social advocates, among other things. We are all very passionate about public health, safety, economic stress, and overall community well-being. Those who have come forward CARE about Stanislaus County, have something to SAY, and want something real to DO to make a difference. The great thing is that there are a lot of really wonderful community members, groups, and organizations involved so far (thanks to all of you!) We are a wide variety of people sitting at this table with unique perspectives and connections brought with us that are extremely valuable to this collaborative process. As a collective we understand that prevention works. We all believe strongly in promoting empowerment, resiliency, and coping skills not only in individuals, but in the circles that support them. And together we are now demanding our leaders to address the serious issues of syringe access and disposal in our community.

Thank you to those who have already stepped up to volunteer!! You can do as much or as little, be as involved as you wish. Some of us will do more than others, many will do little other than cheer us on. That is ok too. Whatever you can do in any way, no matter how big or small is much appreciated. We are so excited for more people to jump on board! The more who speak the louder our voice.

These are some of the areas that volunteers are needed to fill:

• Advocacy
• Research / Needs Assessment
• Identifying Allies
• Clean-Up and Beautification Crews
• Media (Video and Photo) /Web/Graphics/Marketing (Flyers and Brochures), etc
• Artists and Musicians
• Administrative Duties / Meeting Minutes, Coordination
• Community Outreach / Education / Community Engagement Projects
• Presentations / Speaking Engagements
• Letter Writing / Making Phone Calls
• Attending Community Meetings and Special Events / Tabling
• Speaking to the Media
• Event Planning / Fundraising
• ...and other areas that will come up as we go!

We all have unique skills and strengths so if you think you can help in some way just let us know! If you wanna do something, we'll find something for you to do. We have trainings, meetings, and some other really fun stuff coming up so we will keep you posted!

For more information or to get involved PLEASE CONTACT US at offthestreetsproject@yahoo.com or find us on Facebook.

Blog #1 - Here We Go

Where exactly does one begin when it comes to something like this? There are so many things to say and do, and so many things I want people to know. There really are a gazillion things people NEED to know!

Part of me wants to address and defend and dispute every single thing I know of that has been circulated about syringe exchange and injection drug use - the truths, the lies, the happenings over the last several months, and personally the things said about the volunteers involved. I want to 'go there', I want to take advantage of this open forum in that way, I want to set the record straight - but at the same time I don't want to stray away from the task at hand. It would not be an efficient use of time or attention. We've got way bigger fish to fry. Besides, if you stick around and visit us often, you will figure out who we are and what we are about and the record will set itself straight. The truth will become obvious.

Off the Streets Project is a growing group of volunteers from all walks of life who are coming together specifically to educate, advocate, and promote community health and well-being in line with harm reduction strategies appropriate for Stanislaus County. We are educators, social workers, nurses, business people, laborers, and artists. We are caregivers and parents. Neighbors, family, and friends. Simply put, we are a unique mix of people who care about our community.

This blogspot is a start. This is where things will begin to move to the next level. There promises to be a wealth of information collected here. One of our primary goals is to educate anyone and everyone who will listen. So if you wanna know, we wanna tell ya. If there is something here that you need to know more about or if you have any questions at all, please let us know. We want this space to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn about syringe exchange and harm reduction in Stanislaus County.

I am beginning to ramble so instead of continuing on I will end my first entry with this:

Stanislaus County is in the midst of a public health crisis, it's true. Money is sparse, resources are dwindling, and more people need more help than any other time in recent memory. It seems daunting and the issue itself can be a downer, I know. But there is hope. There are answers. There are possibilities. There are always possibilities.

That's where Off the Streets comes in.