150 Lives Saved in 2025, We're Hiring, Help Us Support Community Members in Need and more...

March Newsletter

Support Thrive for Change

In this edition:

150+ lives saved in 2025: Our impact by the numbers.
Help us raise money for a local member of the recovery community & her cat to find a new home.
Join us for our free Harm Reduction 101 webinar on March 17th at 6:00pm.
Your donations impacted 162 lives in February! Check out our Spring wish list.
We're hiring a full time Disease Prevention Specialist.
Check out the recording from our Stimulant Use and Heart Health education event last month.

Thrive for Change 2025 Impact Snapshot:

Help Us Secure a Safe Apartment for Sue & Lil' Girl

We're raising money to relocate a recovering community member & their cat in dire need of a safe apartment. Anyone in recovery will tell you that environment is key to success, so we’re calling on all of our community members to help uplift Sue in this time of urgent need.

So far, we've raised over over $1,000 towards our $3,000 goal!

Funds will directly go to:

First months rent
Security deposit
Application fee’s
Pet related fees for Lil Girl

Learn More & Donate

You can also donate using Venmo (@thriveforchange) or cashapp ($thrive4changecle)

Learn How to Save Lives: Harm Reduction 101 Training, March 17th at 6:00pm

Join us for a virtual education opportunity presented by people with lived experience, overdose survivors, and experts in the field of Harm Reduction.

What you'll learn:

Harm reduction principles & practices
The effects of stigma & ways to make a difference
How to recognize & respond to an overdose with naloxone
Emerging trends & updated best practices

Learn More and Register

Your donations are making a difference!

Amazon Wishlist

We're Expanding Our Team!

This full time disease prevention specialist will provide on-the-ground prevention services, including on-site testing, PrEP navigation, and educational resources.

Those with lived experience with substance use, HIV, or Hep-C services highly preferred. Related work experience is required.

Learn More & Apply

HEP-C Testing and Care Referral Services

Thanks to support from The AIDS Funding Collaborative, The Mt. Sinai Health Foundation, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health we now offer on-site HEP-C testing along with referrals for care and prevention.

Since launching these efforts in January, we’ve tested 20 individuals and helped connect 4 with HEP-C to care.

This is a brand new service for us and we are excited about the positive impact this is going to have local public health.

For more details on these services, reach out to Shay, our HIV Outreach Specialist.

Stimulant Use and Heart Health Webinar

As part of the Northeast Ohio Opioid Education Series, WellLink Health Alliance and Thrive for Change hosted a hybrid training on the rising impact of stimulant use, including cocaine and methamphetamine.

Held at Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center and online via Teams, participants learned about local trends, heart health risks, harm reduction strategies, and available resources.

Presenters Jodi Mitchell from WellLink, Manreet Bhuller from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, Dr. Robert Bales from The Cleveland Clinic, and Bethany Roebuck from Thrive for Change (pictured above) shared extremely useful insights, highlighting community-based approaches to support individuals and families affected by stimulant use.

Watch the Recording Here

Team Updates

Help Us Welcome Jon Wlasiuk to the Team!

Harm Reduction Outreach Specialist

Jon, a resident of Cleveland for over 20 years, first connected with Thrive for Change when he attended a Harm Reduction 101 webinar in 2022, shortly after losing a close family friend to a fatal overdose. During the training, Ashley Rosser and Paige Snyder grounded the lesson in their own lived experience. Jon shared that he was grateful to find a community of people working to prevent fatal overdoses like the one his friend experienced.

Jon currently works at Michigan State University as an Assistant Professor. He began supporting harm reduction efforts as a naloxone distributor in 2023 and volunteered at his first Pride event with Thrive for Change in 2024.

Send a Welcome Email to Jon

About Thrive for Change:

Our mission is to promote health, hope, and healing for individuals at risk of overdose & their loved ones through education, collaboration, advocacy, and direct service.

11002 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44102

info@thrive4change.org

216-598-5647

Get In Touch