Youth, Action, Impact: Responding to the Opioid Crisis

Nivedita Krishnaswami- 9/11 Regional Project Manager

A Multi-Program Approach to the Opioid Crisis

Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Workshop & Naloxone Kit Assembly The “Why” Awareness without tools leaves a community vulnerable. To bridge this gap, Sewa International transformed a standard educational workshop into a high-impact service action, turning passive listeners into active lifesavers.

The Unique Approach: Education + Action

By breaking silos between the #9/11 Program, Family Services, and LEAD, we engaged a multi- generational audience. We partnered with April Rovero (NCAPDA), a Sewa Excellence Award recipient, to provide expert training. Moving beyond a typical lecture, 35+ volunteers transitioned immediately into a hands-on “kit build,” assembling over 450 Naloxone (anti-overdose) kits.

Powerful Impacts & Highlights

Expanding the Sewa Family: In a moving display of solidarity, NCAPDA Youth Ambassadors joined the assembly line after their presentation. Working alongside our LEAD students, they bridged the gap between guest speakers and partners, expanding Sewa’s volunteer outreach and youth advocacy base.

Civic Endorsement: San Ramon Mayor Mark Armstrong demonstrated strong support by staying for the entire duration. He worked the assembly line with our youth, praising Sewa’s leadership in addressing difficult but critical public health issues.

Emotional Resonance: Personal stories of recovery shared by youth ambassadors moved the audience to action, proving that lived experience is often more powerful than statistics.

The Lesson: The “Sewa Synergy” Model

This event demonstrates that impact becomes exponential when we combine logistics (#911), community reach (Family Services), and youth energy (LEAD). By pairing a learning session with a practical assembly activity, we maintained high engagement and produced measurable results.

450+ kits are now in the hands of community members or ready for distribution, directly strengthening public health resilience.

When youth lead with shared purpose, the impact on community safety is immediate and profound.

Bridging Borders through Spoken English

Nags Rajaram- Chapter Coordinator, Chicago SEP

Spoken English Program (SEP) was piloted by the Atlanta chapter in 2024–25 with Kannada-speaking beneficiaries in Bengaluru, India. In 2025–26, we expanded the program to the Chicago and Detroit chapters and extended it to Hindi-speaking beneficiaries in Bhopal, India, and Telugu-speaking beneficiaries in Hyderabad, India.

The goal of the program is to equip underserved elementary and middle school children in India with spoken English skills, ensuring they are better prepared for educational and job opportunities. This initiative was carried out in partnership with Youth For Seva (YFS).

About 23 LEADs across the three chapters worked with 31 beneficiaries across three Indian cities. It was a mutually rewarding experience, with beneficiaries enthusiastically learning while the LEADs also gained exposure to and appreciation of their native languages.

Our LEADs worked every Saturday and Sunday for nearly five months to complete this program.