Sunshine Stories

Danielle and John grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same high school, and developed substance use disorder in their late teens, but the pair didn’t become a couple...

Cherry was featured in a Sunshine Story back in December 2023 , when she was still searching for a job. Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) is now proud to call her a staff member...

For the first time in 30 years, Lisette is sober. She’d never thought it possible. “I thought this would be my life forever. I was just going to die using,” says Lisette, 50, who...

For almost a decade, Jessica Gomes didn’t address that she was living with HIV. Yes, she’d used intravenous drugs, but she’d been careful about what syringes she used. Yes, doctors...

Mark was only 12 when he started drinking alcohol to excess, smoking weed, and taking pills. Not long after he began shooting heroin, mimicking what the older people around him...

According to middle-class societal standards, no one could have guessed that Teena Weisler was a person struggling with drug and alcohol use disorder. She always had a job and a...

When people experiencing addiction tell John Lawlor their stories, he often nods along in empathy. John, a Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) harm reduction specialist, knows what...

Timothy arrived at Beacon House in June 2024 with a swollen eye and bruises covering his body. A few days earlier, he’d been badly “kicked and stomped” on the street, treated at...

Before moving into Beacon House two months ago, Ryan and his girlfriend lived in a tent near railroad tracks behind the U-Haul building, sweltering through mosquito-filled summers...

To mark Overdose Awareness Day 2024, read Devin's Sunshine Story by guest contributor Theo Fountain. This powerful story is unique, featuring a person in recovery from drug use...