SANDSJ LAUNCHES A NEW, POWERFUL VIDEO AROUND OVERDOSE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

As you may know, August 31 represents International Overdose Awareness Day, a day to honor those who have passed, share life-saving strategies, to recognize first responders and more. Doing our part, today SandSJ has released a new, powerful video to draw awareness to and share information on life-saving prevention services to help reduces overdose events within our Black communities.

The participants in this video are NOT paid actors. They are several dedicated members of our existing Trenton Restorative Street Team (TRST) and our newly-formed, Trenton Restorative Response Unit (TRRU). The TRRU is a community first responder program that receives calls on a range of non-violent crises which affects the well-being and safety of the community such as mental health or behavioral health events, quality-of-life issues, public disturbances, welfare checks, housing gaps, substance use disorder and more.

As Scripture reminds us:

Isaiah 58:12 (NRSV): “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.”

Galatians 6:2 (NRSV): “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

These words echo the legacy of the Black church, which has long been a sanctuary of mutual aid, healing, and justice. From food pantries to freedom movements, our faith-rooted response to crisis has always been communal and compassionate. Today, we carry that legacy forward—restoring our streets and bearing one another’s burdens. Thanks to your continued support, SandSJ is able to take decisive action on the systemic challenges within our Black communities. We are grateful to have you stand with us.

The expansion of our direct impact services turns the slogan, "For Us, By Us," into a reality. We are deploying passionate members from the community to offer peaceful solutions to help safeguard their own backyards. Just as important, we are providing our Black communities with a peaceful alternative they deserve. An alternative that can address certain non-emergencies, instead of immediately escalating them to potentially aggressive police involvement. By expanding these direct impact services, SandSJ is doubling down on our fundamental belief that community-led solutions can work.

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