Project Weber/RENEW
Formation2016
FounderRich Holcomb and James Waterman
Type501(c)(3)
Location
  • Providence, Rhode Island
Servicesharm-reduction and recovery
Executive Director
Colleen Ndoye
Websiteweberrenew.org

Project Weber/RENEW is a harm reduction organization in Providence, Rhode Island established in 2016 by the merger of Project RENEW and Project Weber.[1] The organization is staffed entirely by people who have directly experienced mental health issues, substance abuse and/or sex work.[2]

It plans to open an "overdose prevention center" in early 2024, which will be the first supervised injection site to be state regulated in the US.[3]

History

Creation of Project RENEW

In 2006, Colleen Daley Ndoye started Project Revitalizing & Engaging Neighborhoods by Empowering Women (RENEW), which connects women sex workers with social services and substance abuse treatment.[4] Project RENEW has been credited with reducing arrests in Pawtucket.[5]

Rich Holcomb and James Waterman displaying the Project Weber poster at the 2010 HIV Prevention Summit in Washington DC.

Creation of Project Weber

In 2008, Project Weber was founded by Rich Holcomb and James Waterman, in Providence, as the first supportive services in America to exclusively serve male sex workers. The project was named in honor of Roy Weber, a sex worker who was found murdered in Providence in 2003. Project Weber opened its first drop-in center in 2013. After two years of running the drop-in center and nearly seven years of complete abstinence from drugs and alcohol, Holcomb relapsed and resigned as director of Project Weber. The merger into Project Weber/RENEW occurred, in part, to sustain the work of Project Weber, after Holcomb's departure as director. Holcomb continues to be involved in the organization.[6][7][8][9][10]

Merger into Project Weber/RENEW

In 2016, Project Weber which served male sex workers and Project RENEW which served female sex workers merged to become Project Weber/RENEW in a hope to gather more funds and help more people. Project Weber/RENEW is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Weber/RENEW's interventions include education, distribution of harm reduction supplies, peer-led street outreach, addressing basic needs, HIV prevention testing, support groups, and case management.[11][12]

Services

In 2021, Weber/RENEW began handing out harm reduction supplies in Kennedy Plaza.[13] The organization runs two drop-in centers run by workers in recovery. One in Providence and another in Pawtucket.[14][15][16] Additionally, the organization runs a mobile outreach van in Providence, Central Falls, and Pawtucket.[17][10]

In partnership with the organization CODAC Behavioral Health, it intends to open an overdose prevention center at 349 Huntington Ave in Providence, a location currently occupied by CODAC.[18][19] After the controversial announcement of the supervised consumption center's opening, some private donors terminated donations to CODAC.[20]

It is one of the largest distributors of Narcan in the state.[21][22][10]

Work

COVID-19 pandemic response

In 2020 and 2021, Weber/RENEW was one of the only organizations in Rhode Island to continue in person harm reduction and outreach work, despite the risk of transmission at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, the organization expanded services to meet clients' basic needs. Weber/RENEW also started distributing COVID masks and cleaning supplies, hosting vaccination clinics, and sharing educational information about COVID and vaccines.[23]

Collaboration with schools

In January 2022, Project Weber/ RENEW taught a Community Leadership in Nonviolence and Substance Use Prevention class for students at Blackstone Academy Charter School, in partnership with U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Rhode Island, and the Nonviolence Institute.[24]

Advocacy of supervised injection sites

In July 2022, Rhode Island became the first state in America to legalize supervised drug consumption sites.[25][26]

In November 2022, Project Weber/RENEW and CODAC Behavioral Healthcare submitted a joint proposal to Rhode Island's Executive Office of Health and Human Services for funding to open a supervised injection site on Huntington Avenue in Providence. Two million dollars in funding for the project will come from settlement money the state of Rhode Island was paid from opioid makers.[27][28]

Outreach in Kennedy Plaza

Project Weber/RENEW focuses much of their outreach on the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) bus terminal, Kennedy Plaza. Kennedy Plaza has one of the highest rates of overdoses in Providence.[29][30]

Awarded grants

In 2018, Miriam Hospital received a $2.5 million federal grant to partner with Project Weber/RENEW and the Rhode Island Public Health Institute to create Rhode Island's first substance use treatment program for gay and bisexual, Black and Latino men. In 2018, Project Weber/RENEW was awarded $10,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation for advocacy and training, as well as to connect high-risk transgender men and women with health and prevention services. [31][32]

PrideFest honor

In June 2022, Project Weber/RENEW was named Grand Marshals for the return of PrideFest and the Illuminated Night Parade in Providence.[33]

References

  1. ↑ Ovalle, David (2023-05-17). "Overdose prevention centers are tough sell in U.S. despite successes". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  2. ↑ Scott, John Geoffrey; Grov, Christian; Minichiello, Victor (2021-03-21). The Routledge Handbook of Male Sex Work, Culture, and Society. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-37311-0.
  3. ↑ Gagosz, Alexa (April 19, 2023). "First state-regulated overdose prevention center in US slated to open in Rhode Island in early 2024 - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  4. ↑ Ioannou, Maria (2016-04-15). "Prostitution Control in America: Rethinking Public Policy". In Canter, David (ed.). Safer Sex in the City: The Experience and Management of Street Prostitution (0 ed.). Routledge. pp. 209–228. doi:10.4324/9781315607429-19. ISBN 978-1-315-60742-9.
  5. ↑ Klepper, David (November 13, 2013). "Effort aims to help prostitutes get off the street in Providence". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  6. ↑ "Police: Suspect in 2003 Providence murder 'shouldn't rest too easy'". WPRI.com. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  7. ↑ Milkovits, Amanda. "'Invisible' shines spotlight on male prostitutes". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  8. ↑ "Former Male Prostitute Helps Hustlers Leave R.I. Streets | EDGE Boston, MA". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  9. ↑ "Options Magazine | Drop-In Center Opens for Male Sex Workers in Providence". 2016-03-03. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  10. 1 2 3 NEWS, ALISON BOLOGNA, NBC 10 (2021-05-12). "Man starts program to help addicts, including himself, stay clean". WJAR. Retrieved 2023-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Milkovits, Amanda. "R.I. groups serving female and male prostitutes to merge". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  12. ↑ United, AIDS (2020-04-17). "Seven Amazing Community Groups That Support Transgender People". POZ. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  13. ↑ "Rhode Island community members turn to mutual aid, direct outreach during pandemic". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  14. ↑ Amaral, Brian. "Paving a road to recovery in Rhode Island - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  15. ↑ Judson, Abigail (29 September 2021). "'Life-saving' Project Weber/RENEW opens new location in city". The Valley Breeze. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  16. ↑ NEWS, ALISON BOLOGNA, NBC 10 (2022-06-29). "Project Weber Renew expands into Pawtucket to save lives". WJAR. Retrieved 2023-02-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Milkovits, Amanda. "Van a donation in name of overdose victim". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  18. ↑ "Rhode Island's first safe consumption site for illegal drugs slated for early 2024". The Public's Radio. 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  19. ↑ "RI prepares to open first safe injection site amid onslaught of overdose deaths". WPRI.com. 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  20. ↑ "R.I. plans for state's first supervised consumption site for illegal drugs proceeding cautiously". The Public's Radio. 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  21. ↑ Staff, Brian Amaral Globe. "'Fentanyl is killing people. It's thinning the streets.' - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  22. ↑ "Opioid overdose alert issued for 9 RI communities". WPRI.com. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2023-02-07. Project Weber/RENEW is doing what they can, she said" "but there's "not enough of anything." said Colleen Daley Ndoye, executive director of the overdose prevention organization Project Weber/RENEW."
  23. ↑ allen (2022-08-30). "Building relationships and fighting for systemic change in Rhode Island". AIDS United. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  24. ↑ "U.S. Attorney joins high school mentoring program for substance abuse and violence prevention". ABC6. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  25. ↑ Weiland, Noah (2022-10-12). "As Overdoses Soar, Rhode Island Embraces a Daring Addiction Strategy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  26. ↑ Solowski • •, Jason (20 January 2022). "Safe Consumption Sites Are Coming to New England This Year". NBC Boston. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  27. ↑ Staff, Brian Amaral Globe. "Fatal R.I. overdoses remained high in 2022. Here's what two organizations want to do about it. - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  28. ↑ Rhode Island PBS Weekly | Reducing Harm | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Rhode Island PBS, retrieved 2023-02-07
  29. ↑ "After an overdose in Kennedy Plaza, advocates fault police, RIPTA for not carrying naloxone". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  30. ↑ "Advocates urge RIPTA to improve overdose response in Kennedy Plaza". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  31. ↑ Borkowski, Rob (2018-09-20). "The Miriam Hospital gets $2.5M grant for substance abuse treatment for gay and bisexual black and Latino men". Providence Business News. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  32. ↑ ChrisS. "RI Foundation Awards $53,200 in Grants to 8 Nonprofits Serving LGBTQ Communities". GoLocalProv. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  33. ↑ Spirit, Boston (26 May 2022). "RI Pride announces grand marshals, new parade route, festival location | Boston Spirit Magazine". Retrieved 2023-02-07.
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