Our Vision
Our primary purpose is to provide support to anyone affected by substance use disorder and addiction, through outreach, community cleanup, and education.
HD BTC's founder, President, and CEO, Stephanie Forrester.
OUR
STORY
From The Brink of Death,
To Hope
With Every Breath
How one recovering addict turned unbearable grief into a grassroots movement to help save a struggling community.
HD BTC's Board of Directors and volunteers pictured with Gates PD Chief James VanBrederode and the Gates to Recovery / S.O.A.R.S. van.
We DO Recover
Volunteer Chris Perry crouches at the unsecured entry point of an abandoned property during Sunday clean up.
Photo Credit: Julie Oldfield Photography
Clean Up
To date we have:
Picked up 111,956 needles
(1,363 during the week ending 11/17/19)
Secured 57 abandoned properties
Without fail, every Sunday the Hope Dealers crew meets in the neighborhood that has become known as "ground zero" of the opioid pandemic in Rochester, New York.
From 9:30 am - 3:30 pm, beginning at 10 Sullivan Street, we move through the city cleaning up sharps and other hazardous materials from public spaces and abandoned properties.
On February 24, 2019, our crew found the residence that stood at our 10 Sullivan Street meeting spot unsecured for the first time. During the cleanup of that property over 400 needles were removed from the three-story abandoned home. On April 1, 2019, the city was finally able to come in and take down the property that had been on their demolition list for years.
Outreach
To date we have:
Helped 140 people find recovery
Resuscitated 1 person with CPR & Narcan
Handed out 8,190 bagged lunches
Distributed 778 prepared meals
(courtesy of Food by DeLeo)
Distributed 26 sheet pizzas
(courtesy of Caraglios, Greece)
While out on clean up we encounter community members in need on a regular basis. We supply these individuals with food, clothing, hygiene items, and provide recovery resources they can use to seek treatment.
Sunday's from 1:30 - 3:30 pm
at the Father Tracy Health and Advocacy Center,
821 N. Clinton Ave. we offer the additional service of free shopping at our clothing donation closet.
Lunch, clean socks and genuine human compassion go a long way.
Photo Credit: Michael Edwards
Stephanie Forrester and Karena Lee share their stories at a local church.
Photo Credit: Patrick Howell Studios
Prevention Education and Awareness Events
Outside of Sunday clean up and outreach activities, we also provide prevention education services to the community. We do this by visiting schools, churches and participating in community events to raise awareness for addiction.
Visit our Events page for information regarding upcoming public events.
Event planners, Contact Us for participation inquiries.
Hope Dealers BTC Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 public charity, incorporated in New York State.
We are currently funded solely by donations from the community and staffed entirely by volunteers.
Click below to discover ways to help!
