I recently got to chat with the Associate Director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits about the state of nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. Kari is a self-professed data geek, and we discussed the fact that over 75% of nonprofits in Minnesota are currently reporting some level of financial distress, with many actively planning to close their doors. She asked about PHC, and I said that this year’s budget isn’t looking great, but that there are reasons to be hopeful. As she asked more questions, I told her stories about life at PHC, including the fact that PHC’s staff members are saving a couple of lives a month by administering naloxone (also known as Narcan) to individuals who are overdosing on drugs near our building. Kari asked if I ever tell our supporters that, and when I said no, she responded, “You probably should. I think they’d like to know that people are walking around today instead of in the graveyard because your supporters are keeping PHC open.”
For whatever reason, I had never thought of it like that before. Because I’ve worked at PHC for six years, I’m used to the drug epidemic in the neighborhood. Most meetings I attend with other agencies including some reference to drugs, or naloxone, or overdoses, or some related topic. I’ve gotten to the point where I think seeing overdoses is a normal occurrence, and jabbing someone in the leg with a syringe of liquid that can keep them alive is just part of my job.
The point is, your support provides more than just a welcoming community or a safe space. With all the problems PHC’s neighborhood and community are facing, you are literally saving lives with your gifts. I don’t know how to properly say thank-you for that, other than to let you know just how important your support is to our community. We are so thankful for your support, and we want you to know how important you are to the community members here whom you’ve never met.