鈥泪 saved two lives last 飞别别办,鈥� said a man in his early 30s, as he sidled up to a dozen or so of his peers, huddled under blankets on Leon Avenue.

The comment, which would be remarkable in most circles, prompted little more than nods and utterances of similar anecdotes.

鈥淲别 saw a guy overdosing on the street last week, and we had to use three (vials from the Naloxone kit) to bring him 产补肠办,鈥� offered a young woman having her dinner under a Leon awning.

Two, she said, usually does the trick when it comes to opioids, but the drugs on 碍别濒辞飞苍补鈥檚 streets today are cut with so many toxins that all bets are off.

Another said that the Naloxone kits which are used to revive someone who has overdosed are such a hot commodity that she had hers stolen.

鈥沦辞尘别辞苍别 took my whole backpack while I was sleeping, then I found it later with nothing gone but the 办颈迟,鈥� she said. 鈥淭丑别测 get used 蹿补蝉迟.鈥�

These street people 鈥� hungry, tired, mentally ill, high or low 鈥� are the real frontline workers in the current effort to save lives from which have risen shockingly in numbers.

That is why Angie Lohr, with HOPE Outreach, and Ann Keane, started Sunday to go out at night and arm 碍别濒辞飞苍补鈥檚 street population with what they need to save their own 濒颈惫别蝉鈥� Naloxone kits.

Lohr is the face of HOPE Outreach, a volunteer-based organization that helps homeless, exploited and addicted

滨迟鈥檚 work 蝉丑别鈥檚 taken on for personal reasons, which which she tells each person she engages with.

鈥泪 诲辞苍鈥檛 know if 测辞耻鈥檝别 heard my story, but I used to be an addict and 滨鈥檝别 been in and out of 箩补颈濒,鈥� Lohr said, as she dropped to one knee Sunday night, speaking eye-to-eye with a woman in her early 20s.

The candid approach prompted the woman to relax and start a conversation with Lohr about the dearth of resources for people wanting to get off the streets and drugs in general.

Both agreed that 颈迟鈥檚 nearly impossible for a person without means to get clean, given the six to 12 week wait time for a detox bed and then lack of available housing upon getting out.

From there they moved on to a conversation about the Naloxone kits that Lohr was distributing.

鈥淥耻谤 volunteers are trained to use a narcan kit if we see anyone overdosing, but the problem has been; does everyone have a kit who is using in迟谤补惫别苍辞耻蝉濒测?鈥� Lohr said.

鈥淲别 came across someone who was overdosing three weeks ago and we literally had to scream down the street to see who had a 办颈迟.鈥�

In the end, a life was saved. But it became clear that there was a need to get more tools into the hands of the people who use them, and in the weeks since that incident the rules have changed to allow just that.

鈥淣辞飞 RNs and social workers can dispense nalaxone kits, not just doctors getting a 辫谤别蝉肠谤颈辫迟颈辞苍,鈥� said Lohr.

鈥淏耻迟 it takes a 10 minute training session. Sometimes the people we come across 诲辞苍鈥檛 have time for that during the day.

鈥淗翱笔贰 outreach is the only night outreach, so now that the rules have expanded 滨鈥檓 really blessed to have RNs and social workers who are willing to take their own time to teach 辫别辞辫濒别.鈥�

In under an hour, Keane and Lohr had handed out 10 kits, and it was made abundantly clear that the service they started providing is needed so 迟丑别测鈥檒濒 be headed back as needed.

Lohr, whose adopted daughter died from a fentanyl overdose in Surrey earlier this year, said 颈迟鈥檚 work 蝉丑别鈥檚 happy to take on.

鈥泪f one person has the kit they can prevent one death down the road and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 all that 尘补迟迟别谤蝉.鈥�