ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The City of Rochester is using funds from opioid settlement payments to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with addiction through its ambassador program. Ambassadors, who were previously addicted to opioids themselves, are now being paid $15 an hour for up to two hours a day to clean up neighborhoods and connect with people on the streets who are struggling with addiction.
“So it’s one-of-a-kind, unique program,” said Courtney Klee of the Monroe County Collaborative.
Click here to learn more about the ambassador program
The impact of the program is evident in the lives of the ambassadors, like Ronny Nelson, who helped paint the floors in the basement and dining room of Blessed Sacrament Church.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “What has being an ambassador meant to you?”
Ronny Nelson, ambassador: “I came in thinking a lot less of this job as ambassador. But I think showing up everyday, helping others, networking resources, outreach, it’s been phenomenal.”
Nelson’s life before becoming an ambassador was a stark contrast to where he is now.
Berkeley Brean: “What was your life like before this?”
Ronny Nelson: “I did several prison sentences. I was in prison. I’ve done drugs. I’ve got an extensive criminal history. But they, the ambassadors, gave me an opportunity to excel.”
There are currently 17 ambassadors working in all four corners of the city. The funds for the program come from the city’s portion of the opioid settlement case, which amounted to more than $3 million last year. The city is set to receive these payments for the next 15 years.
To ensure the funds are used effectively, the city is seeking input from the community on the impact of the opioid crisis and what types of help are working or not working.
“I think we want to hear directly from folks in our community who are impacted,” said Deputy Mayor Michael Burns. “I think we could certainly make some assumptions as to what the answers might be. But when we make decisions here we like to rely on data.”
Click here to take the opioid survey
The deadline to provide input through the city’s survey is Friday. The survey can be found linked to this story on WHEC.com.
In the past three years, 1,264 people in Monroe County have died from opioids and cocaine. The ambassador program is one way the city is working to find solutions to this devastating problem.
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From prison sentences to ‘phenomenal’ opportunity: How Rochester’s ambassador program is transforming lives of former opioid addicts WHEC.com.
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