Sunshine Stories

In the darkest days of Vincent LeCompte’s addiction, when family and friends distanced themselves, Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) provided him with food, clothing, medical...

Larry Colon was seven years old when he started smoking pot with his family because “they thought it was cute,” the Philadelphia native remembers. Surrounded by encouraging loved...

For the first time in years, Jeffrey Middleton can imagine a future. What changed? The staff at Prevention Point Philadelphia’s (PPP) mobile unit connected him to housing at PPP’s...

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...