Cup of Ambition Podcast S[2]15: Harm Reduction Advocate Caroline Ballerstedt of Compassion Kitchen Providence

Caroline Ballerstedt saw a lot of people in her city of Providence, Rhode Island struggling with homelessness, addiction, and a lack of services like safe housing, access to food, and harm reduction care. Instead of saying, "I'm not a social worker," or "I'm not qualified to help," or "I don't know how to help," she just.... started doing it. Caroline works a full-time job in the medical field, but fit her outreach work into her evenings and weekends. She's a testament to the fact that you can do good things even without a specific degree or job title.

Caroline started cooking big batches of hot vegan meals and giving them out to people living on the streets of her community. She then started creating safe injection kits, carrying around essential supplies like tampons, socks, and hand sanitizer, and her biweekly evening outreach became Compassion Kitchen Providence.

Caroline doesn't see herself as a savior, and is loath to take the spotlight (but I'm willing to shine it on her and say she's incredible). She sees the people in her community first as people, and believes in meeting them where they are, listening to them, and giving them love, support, a hot meal, and a friendly ear.

We talk a lot about the concept of harm reduction, which can be a controversial topic in the field of outreach and addiction. Caroline tells us why she believes that harm reduction is a more effective, safe approach than abstinence, what macro policies she think would help the homeless/unhoused population in her city, and her advice to people looking to do harm reduction outreach in their own communities.

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00:06:00: What is outreach work? What does Caroline do?

00:10:53: What does she bring with her?

00:15:00: What is harm reduction, anyway?

00:23:00: What are the most important needs she sees in her community - food? Tents? Clothing? Personal hygiene products like sanitizer and toothpaste?

00:29:00: What, on a macro policy level, does she think will help with the issues of safe housing and addiction?

00:38:00: What are some misconceptions about outreach work and harm reduction?

00:40:35: How does she get all the supplies she brings?

00:46:00: What are the rewards and challenges of this work?

00:50:00: What's her advice to people looking to do outreach work in their own community?

00:58:00: Back to the Future, Listener Questions, and Lightning Round