08/31/2026
"Today, I am completely unrecognizable from the person I was in 2021."
For Joel Toren, that transformation began from a hospital bed, after a referral connected him with Alliance for Positive Change. Alliance Peers met him where he was, supported him through their lived experience, and helped him see who he might become. Today, Joel is a recovery Peer advocate and Alliance's Assistant Director at Alliance's Keith Haring Harlem Center.
On International Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the New Yorkers we have lost and recommit to preventing the next death.
Across Alliance sites and throughout our communities, we are showing up with overdose prevention education, Narcan, peer support, and connections to care. Today, our outreach vans are in Sara D. Roosevelt Park and Marcus Garvey Park, bringing lifesaving resources directly to New Yorkers. Then, on Wednesday, September 2, join us and Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) for our IOAD Day of Action as we come together to raise awareness, save lives, and honor those we have lost.
Link to the article: https://www.nydailynews.com/
2026/08/31/nyc-makes-progress-stopping-overdoses/
