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Program Staff
Program Staff
Left:
Program Director,
Lauren Meloche
Right:
ACT Member Experience Coordinator,
Chelsea Mudalagi
ACT Operations Coordinator, Dania Jadallah
ACT Enrollment Specialist,
Ushna Khan
Danielle Kaltz,
Nalox-Box Program Coordinator
Ja'Lea Echols,
Nalox-Box Program Coordinator
Summer 2024 ACT Members
Hear from our Alumni
I joined AmeriCorps because I wanted to make a difference and help save lives by increasing the number of trained community members equipped with Narcan. I also wanted to learn more about the Opioid epidemic and serve the community in a meaningful way.
William Nolan
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I believe for me the best part about serving as an Americorp member has been the people I’ve met during my service so far. My Americorps term has allowed me to interact with community members and give back in a way that I didn’t think was possible!
Husna Khan
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of being an AmeriCorps member is Having the opportunity to serve in a city that I love and meeting new people!
Madeline Renaud
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I had heard a lot about the opioid epidemic and I wanted to learn more about it through first hand experiences and be a part of the solution. Also, being a Michigander my entire life, I wanted to give back to the communities that have harbored many of my lovely childhood memories.
Shaili Kothari
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I wanted an experience where I was not only learning, but helping my community in the process.
Gagan Kaur
Overdose Rescue Trainer
By joining AmeriCorps I wanted to make an impact on my community by helping in a way that will have ever lasting results. I wanted to provide education to community members that would help to save a person’s life.
Meet Patel
Overdose Rescue Trainer
The reason that I joined is because I have a heart to see people saved from drug overdose and free of drug addiction.
Eugene Cole
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of being an Americorps member is connecting with people and community groups all over metro Detroit. There’s so much support for the ACT program from the surrounding communities, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.
Gabrielle Schmidt
Overdose Rescue Trainer
AmeriCorps has allowed me to fulfill my desire to help others and make a difference in my community,which is a part of the reason I joined. I get to do this with a wonderful group of people which just so happens to be my favorite part.
Savanna Roberts
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Quentin Venney
Overdose Rescue Trainer
The reason I decided to join AmeriCorps is because I wanted to make a difference.
Paula Perry
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I decided to join Americorps because I wanted to feel more connected with the community and participate in something that I knew would not only educate and empower not others but myself included. I hope to continue to do just that through ACT and raise awareness about opioid use disorder and harm reduction strategies.
Pallavi Kurakula
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Overdose Rescue Trainer
The ACT Program has allowed me to explore my interests and work with others to raise awareness about opioid use disorder, Narcan, and harm reduction strategies.
Tristin Smith
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I chose to serve with AmeriCorp to help with my community. This opioid epidemic has taken the lives of so many I want to help put some life back into the community.
Briana Hayden
Overdose Rescue Trainer
The reason I decided to join AmeriCorps is because I wanted to make a difference.
Kamrin Dean
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of the ACT Program is the encouragement that the staff has given me in exploring my own interests in relation to understanding the opioid epidemic. It has been very interesting to learn more about how the opioid epidemic is very interconnected to societal, cultural and medical issues within the USA.
Maheshram Madasamy
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of the ACT Program is being able to educate our community trainees about the stigma surrounding the topic of substance abuse and people who use drugs.
Naomi Evans
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to gain insight into how public health programming works! I hope to learn more about the history and people of the city of Detroit, and the unique health challenges it faces. I wish to connect with community leaders and members, spread ideas about the value of harm reduction, and prepare and build confidence in as many residents as I can to act.
Kristopher Janevski
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined Americorps to better understand the overdose epidemic and immerse myself further into the community I grew up in so that as a physician I can better treat and understand patients’ backgrounds as well.
Dorothea McGowan
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Serving with ACT allows me to engage with community members and educate them on what they can do to combat the overdose crisis. It’s amazing to be part of a team that shares a genuine passion for improving health outcomes in our communities.
Arefa Haque
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I like interacting with members of the community to discuss real issues. I am a huge believer in addressing the needs of a community through its people. I want to educate and empower individuals to build communities with the training gained from this program.
Kamali Clora
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because the opioid crisis has touched my life and has become a passion of mine. Through AmeriCorps I hope to train people in harm reduction and overdose prevention, and hopefully those people will go on to save lives.
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Samantha McMyler
I joined Americorps because I want to make a real difference in my surrounding community while also being involved in really important education and community outreach efforts.
Siddharth Tirumala
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I want to educate and empower the community. Through the program, I hope to help save lives by training community members and equipping them with Narcan.
Batool Alrabiey
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I attended a virtual Narcan training in the summer of 2020 and realized I wanted to bring this information far and wide to my community so I looked up how to get involved and learned about the program and applied. Happy to have been selected.
Danielle Kaltz
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of being an AmeriCorps member is getting to meet people of different backgrounds, skills, and experiences. All of our members are connected by the same goal of reducing deaths caused by overdose in our communities. Hearing the experiences of speakers, staff, and other members is extremely rewarding. It has opened up my worldview already!
Rumyah Rafique
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I choose to join AmeriCorps because I have a heart for service. I became aware of this while serving four years in the military and knew I wanted to dedicate my time and effort to serving local communities and providing the possibilities for change to those that had a need for growth within the environments that they often call ‘home’.
Brooke Elizabeth
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Through the ACT program I am hoping to develop a better understanding of the opioid epidemic and the ways I can get involved in reducing the number of lives lost of overdose.
Dyelle Frederick
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part about AmeriCorps is meeting so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise. Working with people from similar and completely different backgrounds than myself brings in new perspectives that I have never been exposed to before!
Farah Chammaa
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Through the ACT program I am hoping to develop a better understanding of the opioid epidemic and the ways I can get involved in reducing the number of lives lost of overdose.
I joined Americorps because
it was a way for me to not only learn about the opioid epidemic, but also make an impact on my community. Training community members on how to help save lives, is something I have also wanted to do, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
Ja'Lea Echols
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Through the ACT program I am hoping to develop a better understanding of the opioid epidemic and the ways I can get involved in reducing the number of lives lost of overdose.
I joined Americorp knowing it would allow me to familiarize myself with the diversity of the Detroit community and as a prospective physician I think it is very important to be aware of the various ways and faucets people's health can be addressed and improved including through community based intervention and training!
Maryam Mufti
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the opioid epidemic and substance use in general that I can use to inform my future medical career and how I care for my future patients.
Kathryn Lasich
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I wanted to serve with AmeriCorps to enrich my public health background in the context of the opioid epidemic. I plan to attend Physician Assistant school, where my experience as an Overdose Rescue Trainer will certainly be of value and necessity. I look forward to serving with other individuals who share the same passion and determination to help those in the Metro Detroit area as I do!
Jonny Martindale
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to have a better understanding of the effects of opioids in our community and to give back to the community. I hope to be able to implement this education once I am a provider in the medical field.
Jessica Kontur
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Through my service with AmeriCorps, I would like to teach my community about Narcan and other harm reduction strategies to reduce opioids overdose deaths.
Kayleigh Stoney
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps for many reasons. Some reasons include: I am passionate about public health and I wanted to get more involved in the field and gain experience, I want to help my community and educate people on how they can save a live, and I want to make a difference.
Maggie Graham
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to give back to the community. When I moved to Detroit for school, I grew so much as a person and learned so much from the community, and I would like to give back to that. I also joined AmeriCorps to develop a better understanding about Substance Use Disorder and why society pushed it aside.
Ryleigh Arndt
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to gain a richer insight of the opioid epidemic and how it is personally affecting those around me, so I can, in turn, redistribute this awareness to my community. I want to be able to feel confident in having difficult conversations with those in recovery, and make them feel like people again.
Alex Terry-Martin
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I want to make a positive difference especially in the community that I live and go to school in. Community service is so important to me and I love to help people, and joining AmeriCorps gave me the opportunity to be a service to others.
Diamond Holmes
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined ACT to gain insight on the issues in my community, as well as methods I can use to assist and support those in need. I didn’t know much about the opioid crisis prior to joining the ACT program. What I have learned so far has really opened my eyes to the stigmatizing language constantly used in society and how helpful harm reduction can be to a myriad of crises.
Hannah Kessler
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined the AmeriCorps because I aspire to help my community in any way that I can and this program allows me to do just that. I realized that there is a great deal of difference learning about Public Health versus seeing how it plays a role in real life and through this program I believe that I will be able to learn, grow and help.
Malack Jallad
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to become more educated on Substance Use Disorder along with giving back to the Tri-County area which I hope to live in as an adult. Through this experience I hope to be able to educate/give back to the city I was raised in Flint.
Myles Hall
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of AmeriCorps is getting to serve with a welcoming and encouraging group of people! I am going to school for Criminal Justice and Philosophy, and ACT has taught me so much about the importance of harm reduction strategies.
Reagen Farsakian
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of AmeriCorps is the people I am serving with and the culture of the program. Everyone I have met and interacted with through this program is an amazing, good hearted person that makes me want to do my best. It is easily the best and most supportive work environment I’ve ever been a part of.
Sophie Montesanti
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of AmeriCorps is definitely the people! Everyone in the program is so open-minded and dedicated to serving, so I feel very lucky to be a part of the team.
Alisha Belsare
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because waiting patiently was no longer a viable option. AmeriCorps provides people the opportunity to serve, support, and strengthen their communities. I hope that through my service, I may be able to grow into a more altruistic person and create everlasting bonds with my fellow members. Why did I join AmeriCorps? To do some good.
Bobby Riethmiller
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I want to have a positive impact on my community.
Marissa Huth
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of ACT is the sense of community. Everyone is extremely helpful and thoughtful. I instantly felt part of the team. I joined ACT to be an active agent against opioid overdoses.
Jessica Cach
Overdose Rescue Trainer
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I joined AmeriCorps to gain experience serving in a community based health
initiative. I looked forward to making connections with a cohort of members who share similar goals, along with working to improve ourselves and contribute our efforts to our surrounding communities.
Gabe Mohney
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined ACT to make a direct impact on members of the Detroit community. As an EMT, I see the impacts of the overdose crisis every week. This program allows me to teach others about the importance of Narcan.
Ky Oldham
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part about being an AmeriCorps member is seeing that we have opened up people’s eyes and minds. It is so fulfilling to see people come to a training with the intent of wanting to save a life.
Tavie Valdez
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of AmeriCorps is its welcoming nature. The members are very supportive and eased my nerves when I started my term of service. I joined ACT to educate my community.
Dawn Henderson
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to gain valuable public health experience focusing on an often-stigmatized issue in the Detroit community.
Ryan Lightheart
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to gain hands-on experience with an important health topic that impacts our community. My favorite part of ACT is getting to teach community members about Narcan and hands-only CPR.
Daniel McLeskey
Overdose Rescue Trainer
The best part about Americorps is being surrounded by truly remarkable people. Knowing I can work with such empathetic and passionate members gives me the drive I need to successfully continue in this program.
Emad Kaid
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope through the ACT program, I will be able to gain and provide my community as an Arab with the information, training and tools needed to stop overdose death and prevent future harm.
Abier Alahmadi
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I want to learn how to reach the community. Service is something I want to do in the future, and learning how to engage with the community is a crucial step in that. I also want to learn more about the opioid crisis.
Ryan Peplinski
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to make a direct, positive, long-lasting impact on our community. My favorite part of being an AmeriCorps member is meeting and learning from all the wonderful people that I serve with!
Hady Kobeissi
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I’m looking forward to bonding with my cohort and contributing back to the community by facilitating trainings and promoting awareness regarding opioid use.
Anoosha Vemulapati
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of being an AmeriCorps member is that it gives me an opportunity to serve my community and really make a difference in other people’s lives.
Salam Sulaiman
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I heard a lot about the opioid epidemic and researched the War on Drugs in high school. It all seemed so important and pressing, and I wanted to get involved in any way I could instead of just feeling helpless.
Suha Iqbal
Overdose Rescue Trainer
By serving with cohort 12, I really want to help reduce the number of opioid overdoses in the area. I hope to gain experience in this field so I can further pursue an education in psychiatric nursing with a focus on substance use disorders.
Christina Foley
Overdose Rescue Trainer
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I joined AmeriCorps to help educate my community on the opioid crisis. Additionally, I want to expand on knowledge on opioids and their impact, and carry that experience with me to a future career in emergency medicine.
Christopher Conn
Overdose Rescue Trainer
My favorite part of being an AmeriCorps member is that members have a lot of freedom in the service that you get to do. You are given guidelines, but you get to choose audiences to target and brainstorm the best methods to reach those audiences.
Olivia Carlisle
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I am a part of a research study that aims to improve treatment outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder and are on methadone/buprenorphine; through this research I gained more insight into how debilitating opioid dependency can be. I wanted to be a part of the solution.
Monya Ali
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Bio coming soon!
Tiffany Moore
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because I want to gain the necessary training and education on overdose response. Working in Detroit, and aiming for a career in the pharmaceutical field, it's important how I can learn these experiences and create a difference in my community.
Sofia Begum
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined the ACT program to learn more about the opioid overdose crisis and help spread awareness (and Narcan) in my community!
Dania Jadallah
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to help others and do my part as a citizen of this community by obtaining as much knowledge as I can to reach others and get them trained as well.
Maddi Ashwood
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined the ACT program to educate myself about the opioid overdose crisis
and to help understand those who are experiencing a substance use
disorder.
Shaima Kaid
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps because of personal experience with the opioid overdose crisis. I wanted to be better equipped with the knowledge to prevent or assist other loved ones/people in my community experiencing an overdose.
Cecilia Harris
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to gain more of an understanding of the opioid crisis in addition to the hospital experience I already have. I hope that through service, I can help make opioid use less taboo.
Asia Flint
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps to give back to my community! I want to help make change wherever I can, and I think this is an important way I can do that.
Bri Daniels
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Member bio coming soon!
Keith Holton
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope to aid in the de-stigmatization of substance use and to make the public aware of the opioid overdose crisis and how to prevent more deaths.
Savannah Lane
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Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope to have an impact on communities that have had difficulty obtaining Narcan and information on reversing an opioid overdose. It’s important to me that more individuals know about the opioid crisis and how they can help.
Huda Al-Hilfy
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined the ACT program to make a difference in my community. I want the public to be aware that overdose deaths are preventable.
Tijuana Smith
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope to do my part to help address the opioid overdose crisis and improve my ability to provide excellent care as someone entering the healthcare field.
Julia Hodgson
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Overall I want to help as many people as I can by delivering overdose rescue training. I also want to learn more about those impacted by substance use disorders and what more can be done by our communities to support recovery.
Camellia Mashal
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I joined AmeriCorps, specifically the ACT program, to reach out to the people in my community. Living in a society that focuses on individualism and personal success, pushes us as people farther and farther away from what we need: support. Being able to inform our communities about issues that need attention is a way to bring us together and help people at the same time.
Jenna Alsaigh
Overdose Rescue Trainer
Member bio coming soon!
Stephanie Dudek
Overdose Rescue Trainer
I hope to have an impact on communities that have had difficulty obtaining Narcan and information on reversing an opioid overdose. It’s important to me that more individuals know about the opioid crisis and how they can help.
Ushna Khan
Overdose Rescue Trainer
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