SAN FRANCISCO DRUG USERS UNION
1189 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 941103214

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Organizations Filed Purposes: San Francisco Drug Users Union advocates at the local, state, and federal level for the protection and promotion of the health and wellness of people who use drugs.

Over the last year SFDUU has had many exciting opportunities. We are a small organization that prioritizes the workers ie the people who have been most affected by the War on Drugs. So, this year again, we were able to hold a team comprised 100% of people who use drugs, people who formerly used drugs and people who have been negatively affected by the War on Drugs. In this we have begun to dispel the stereotype that people who use drugs are often incapable of doing anything else with their lives. Upon doing research and having very candid conversations with our clientele, we structured our program to cater to the needs of the demographics we serve, not only in services but also in employment. And what we predicted turned out to be true; that as these people gain the self-worth through the employment at the Union, they find the coping skills they need to keep the job they were granted and to build their own foundation and solid ground so that they become the self-reliant and independent citizens they know they are. The following are some of the highlights of our program over the past year. SFDUU was invited to participate in the research and overview of a journal article by a group called Battery Powered, which sits inside the private club in the Financial District known as The Battery. The Union introduced the researchers to people who self-identified as addicts and homeless, so that they could ask questions to the people struggling with those issues first hand, and how they found themselves in those situations. We are proud to let the people speak for themselves, and we feel very satisfied that those demographics trust us. You can see our Executive Director speak about our program here at the Batterys website. https://www.thebatterysf.com/batterypowered/givingtheme/addiction-recovery SFDUU was also involved with the SF Department of Public Health, and was hired to be the voice of the people who use drugs in trying to create a medical intervention for that group because of the high rates of transmissions of Hep C, HIV, and Sexual infections. We were able to hold various groups asking for the needs of many people who use drugs in San Francisco across as many demographics as possible, (Both men and women, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, many sexual orientations including straight, gay, bi, queer, People experiencing Homelessness, African-American, Latinx American, Asian-Pacific Islander American, Immigrants, and many from neighborhoods that are often overlooked by the city including Sunnydale and the Tenderloin). SFDPH even enjoyed our proposal for involving communities in the review process post implementing new low barrier clinics and resources that we are currently negotiating future projects that will happen during this up=and-coming ten-year contract with the state of California. We were quintessential in the formation of the Know Overdose Education Campaign. This was a public education campaign to educate the citizens of San Francisco about Naloxone and how to recognize and reverse an overdose if you see one. The majority of the people in the community who were seen in the posters were friends and partners of SFDUU. We assisted in negotiating good contracts so the models in the posters were paid an exceptional amount of money instead of an amount that would be disrespectful to the people involved. SFDUU is still members of EndHepCSF, which is working with the community to end the transmission of HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) in the San Francisco Homeless and Drug Using population. We also host a space where a few members and staff are able to participate in a Hep C group for people who currently Hep C positive and do not have access to the internet, and can use a computer and zoom at our location. We are now well established with two nurses that do all types of testing, wound care, follow-up appointment scheduling, and prescribe Suboxone. They operate out of our space every Thursday for 5 hours. It has been a long time coming trying to find the right nurses to fit in our space.SFDUU was asked to be a consultant in running the Meth Sobering Center, which would be the first in the country to offer a 24 hour drop in for people who are experiencing light psychotic symptoms that are brought on by drug use. They would be clients who need sleep, or havent eaten anything. The project had a lot of promise but became impossible when Coronavirus became a threat in San Francisco. And although the project didnt come to fruition, it was an indicator that SFDUU has become a resource to the city in communicating and building relations to and from the people who use drugs in this city. SFDUU was finally able to create a new website, which we are still working on (www.sfduu-hit.org). We foresee a boost in our social media presence and outreach in order to create a link to those communities that are harder for us to reach. Also, with technology, Miss Ian and various Staff members of the Union have participated in many panel discussions and presentations for the city of San Francisco and also nationwide. There has been an increase in the amount of overdose deaths in the city, and we were even featured in the Chronicle speaking about the devastation to our community At least 10 times a day, someone on the brink of death from a drug overdose is saved in S.F. [https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-s-overdose-numbers-are-staggeringly-high-15648878.php] & If COVID-19 isnt driving a dramatic increase in homeless deaths in SF, then what is? [https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/If-COVID-19-isn-t-driving-a-dramatic-increase-15493665.php] The latter article talks about one of our volunteers who passed away, and in it, it doesnt say, but weve been able to be a place where there are memorials planned and held for those who are no longer with us. We have always done this, but it happens with a lot more frequency now and it is our honor to be able to offer a place to grief and some connections and resources for closure, because when you are homeless or a drug user, often when people pass away, thats it, there is no funeral or nothing to mark the occasion, it just passes and thats it. We can really see the results in self-worth in the community, because the message that accompanies these memorials is that their lives matter, they are important, and if they die, people care. But probably the main accomplishment was that we never had to suspend services when coronavirus hit San Francisco. Our team of people who use drugs currently, formerly, or were caught up in the legal system because of drugs, really showed that despite the odds of discrimination, stigma, hostility (as citizens became extra scared of people living outside as they were typecast as people who probably have contracted covid-19 and have been treated like lepers. Its been horrifying to watch) we watched our community step up and show their true colors over the first six months of the pandemic. I, Miss Ian, couldnt be prouder of the team at SFDUU. You can tell that the community respects them, they are learning all new job skills, and life skills, developing very positive personal and professional boundaries, and finding meaning in not only their own lives but in the lives of their friends encouraging accountability instead of excommunication when people mess up.All of this couldnt have been accomplished if we werent able to find a new location when we were told that our lease would not be renewed at our old location. The landlords lawyers told us that they did not like our clientele and that as far as they were concerned we were the cause of homelessness and because the people who need help and feel safe coming to us and asking for help, that its a bad look for the whole neighborhood. We were scared that we werent going to be able to find somewhere, and our organization might be at the end of its rope. But with the help of diligent research, and assistance from a pro bono real estate broker, we found an even better spot across the street from our old spot. We have been through many changes in the past year, and are proud to be standing as tall as we are.

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