I moved to Portland from my hometown in Southern Idaho in 2011. My world suddenly grew bigger than I thought was possible. I did ok navigating the urban experience until a series of unfortunate events led me down a path of chaotic substance use and I ended up houseless and homeless and with a positive HIV diagnosis. Subsequently my activities to support my substance use landed me in the Oregon prison system in 2017 and was released in 2020, mid-Covid. I was at a point in my life where I was so grateful just to be alive and I knew I wanted to have a very different relationship with the world, one involving love compassion and kindness.

My path led me to a career working in houseless services and I first learned about harm reduction from the organization POPP where I signed up to volunteer on their Sunday outreach crew. My first outreach with POPP was when I realized there is such a need for full spectrum harm reduction to even begin to attempt to heal the community. I reflect on the moment I tested positive in 2017 and wonder if it could have been different if I had access and support with clean using supplies. Im grateful for the opportunities I have been given and aim to educate and break down stigma around harm reduction and all that it encompasses.