- March 19, 2025
Volusia Recovery Alliance and Foundations to Freedom are working to increase access to Narcan in Ormond Beach to prevent opioid overdose deaths — using free vending machines.
Thanks to grant dollars from Volusia County's opioid abatement funds, the nonprofits have been able to roll out new initiatives. Last October, the Volusia County Council awarded the first round of funding, over $2.6 million, to 10 agencies, including Volusia Recovery Alliance, which received almost $300,000, and Foundations to Freedom, which received almost $480,000. Grant funds to both organizations were slated to help increase naloxone distribution.
For Foundations to Freedom, the funds helped install the first Narcan vending machine in Ormond Beach, placed at the Grocery Box convenience store at 448 S. Yonge St.
Katherine Russell, the nonprofit's executive director and founder, said the vending machine was placed there because the area is a hotspot for opioid overdoses.
"We knew that the need in that area was great," Russell said. "The owner was telling us stories about people overdosing back by his dumpsters in the back of his store."
A vending machine was also placed in front of the the Foundations to Freedom main office 339 E. New York Ave. In a five week period, that vending machine had 61 Narcan boxes removed.
The vending machine in Ormond Beach had almost double that removed in 10 days, Russell said.
"We've had to fill it up twice in about the two-and-a-half weeks that it's been there," she said.
On Feb. 18, the County Council approved another round of opioid abatement fund distribution, granting $3.5 million to 12 agencies, including Volusia Recovery Alliance and Foundations to Freedom.
These additional grant funds will help Foundations to Freedom to install six more vending machines, four of which will be installed at the Family Health Source medical centers in Volusia County. The nonprofit is also working with the county to place 10 more, with the goal to have 18 vending machines in Volusia by the end of the year.
The grant funds awarded last year to Volusia Recovery Alliance, an Ormond Beach-based nonprofit, helped distribute Narcan kits to local businesses. The kit, called a ONEbox, contains eight doses of Narcan and personal protective equipment — a mask, gloves and wipes.
Karen Chrapek, executive director at Volusia Recovery Alliance, said that, after recently issuing an update to the community, she was approached by Ormond Beach Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland about distributing some ONEboxes to local businesses in time for Bike Week. That led to AdventHealth funding 25 kits, all installed at local liquor establishments.
"It's a way to make it easy for bystanders to administer Narcan to save a life," Chrapek said.
Volusia Recovery Alliance will use its latest grant fund award to purchase and install Narcan vending machines too.
"People in recovery can make a huge positive imapct to their communities," Chrapek said. "It's a way to promote safety on the street, so to speak, and it's a way to highlight that recovery is possible."
