CORE CALIFORNIA

CORE’s EMBRACE Program Offers a Second Chance

Esteban Santillan was on a short break outside his office in downtown Los Angeles when he saw someone having a seizure on the sidewalk. The man was unresponsive, struggling to breathe, and foaming at the mouth – behaviors that Esteban knew were signs of an overdose.

After calling 911, Esteban rushed to grab a bottle of naloxone (Narcan), a lifesaving medication used to reverse overdoses, while his coworker stayed with the man. He administered the nasal spray and immediately noticed his breathing get back to normal. The paramedics arrived and administered a second dose – thankfully, the man started to regain consciousness.

Esteban appreciated his gut instinct to act quickly in the scary situation – it comes naturally to him, he reflected. But he credits a chance encounter with CORE at a community event as to why this man is alive today.

Esteban works at the Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), a community-based nonprofit that serves the South Los Angeles community. He connected with CORE at a local farmer’s market, where both teams were tabling.

At CORE’s booth, one of our outreach coordinators was talking with passing community members and distributing opioid overdose prevention kits. Each kit came with fentanyl testing strips and two packs of naloxone. Esteban walked over and got one himself.

“I carried the Narcan in my car and also in my backpack to go ahead and always have it – and one day I needed it,” he said.

Overdose prevention was one of the primary goals of EMBRACE, a year-long, community-based program aimed at stopping HIV transmission in Los Angeles. In partnership with Heluna Health, with funding from the Department of Public Health, CORE’s team engaged nearly 18,000 community members to educate them about reducing the risk of overdose, HIV prevention, and general sexual health.

At tabling events and resource fairs, the team distributed more than 5,500 resources, including opioid overdose prevention kits and safe sex kits. They also spoke with community members about PrEP, a medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use, ultimately referring 1,800 people to medical providers for further discussions. By talking openly and honestly about drug use and HIV prevention, EMBRACE aimed to reduce stigma and encourage safe, help-seeking behaviors among the people who need it most.

“EMBRACE was all about meeting people where they are. We proudly participated in many community events all over Los Angeles County, connecting with people that might not otherwise hear about things like safe sex kits, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or PrEP,” shared Vianney Barnabe, the area manager of CORE California’s Community and Environmental Equity team. “I am incredibly pleased to hear that one of our overdose prevention kits was deployed by a community member, and it saved a life. This is what community work is all about, keeping an eye out for another, and helping during times of need.”

Since EMBRACE was completed in March 2025, the CORE California Community and Environmental Equity team has stayed busy, working throughout Los Angeles to improve the health and well-being of people often overlooked by traditional healthcare systems. Follow CORE California to stay up to date on the team’s latest outreach efforts in the community.