After leaving jail, Liz Slusser said she had nowhere to go. She was sleeping at a laundromat and knew returning to her hometown and old circle of friends could put her back into addiction.
A connection to recovery resources in Gainesville gave her another option.
“If I’d have got out of jail and went back to Chiefland, my hometown, I’d have relapsed,” Slusser said. “Like, there wouldn’t have been a second chance.”
Slusser was one of 50 people who attended “Taking Strides to End Overdose.” The event, held on International Overdose Awareness Day, brought together local organizations, first responders, people in recovery and community members to remember those who have died from overdoses and address the resources for people who are still struggling.
The event was hosted by the Nehemiah Project and Released Reentry. Participants walked 5,501 steps to honor the Floridians who died from overdose in 2024, according to Melissa Rea, the executive director of the Nehemiah Project, a treatment and recovery nonprofit.
But the event was not only about remembering those who have died. Organizers also wanted people struggling with substance use to know that recovery is possible.
“People don’t want to die. They want the pain to end,” Rea said during the event.
Rea said the Nehemiah Project is made up of people who have gone through recovery and now work with individuals, families and communities affected by substance use and mental health issues.
The event also showed how several local organizations are working together on overdose prevention, including Gainesville Fire Rescue, Released Reentry, the Nehemiah Project, health care providers and public health officials.
Emily Westerholm, executive director of Released Reentry, said the group brings together people with lived experience, people who work directly with residents and administrators to look at what is missing in the community’s response to substance use. It also focuses on overdose prevention before people return to the community after incarceration.
One of the biggest problems is finding a safe place for people after they finish treatment or while they are waiting to get into a longer-term recovery program, Westerholm said.
“People need a safe and supportive place to stay while they wait for additional services,” Westerholm said.
Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to 721 substance-related overdose calls in 2025, said Brandy Stone, the fire department’s director of community health initiatives.
The calls included instances of overdose of alcohol, prescription medications, opioids and other substances. Stone said the highest number of calls came in April and August. Saturday was the most common day, and 8 p.m. to midnight was the most common time for calls.
Stone said the numbers show why the community needs more than emergency responses.
“This is an issue that we definitely can’t address alone,” she said.
The lack of transportation and insurance can make it harder for people to get treatment, Stone said. She also said Gainesville needs more treatment options for people experiencing stimulant use, including methamphetamine.
Westerholm said Released Reentry provides overdose education inside the Alachua County Jail. It also puts naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, in welcome-home bags for people leaving jail and has worked with community partners to make naloxone available in the jail lobby.
Westerholm said people returning from incarceration can face a higher risk of fatal overdose because their tolerance can change while they are incarcerated.
For Slusser, getting connected with recovery services after leaving jail made a difference.
Slusser said she began using methamphetamine and marijuana before eventually being incarcerated. While in jail, she learned about Oxford House, a group of recovery homes.
After she was released, Slusser said she called a friend because she was sleeping at a laundromat and did not want to return to the same people and environment.
Her friend connected her with Reentry coordinators, who helped her apply to Oxford House. Slusser said she filled out her application around 12:30 a.m. and was getting calls for house interviews by 8:30 the next morning.
She has lived in an Oxford House in Gainesville since May. She said the women she lives with have become a support system for her.
“When you’re spiraling in your addiction, you don’t realize that there are resources, that it is possible to recover,” Slusser said. “And coming to Oxford House showed that for me.”
The people at the event also wanted to remind the community that overdose prevention is not only about opioids.
Westerholm said alcohol-related overdoses are among the incidents recorded most frequently in Alachua County. Stone said alcohol made up the largest share of Gainesville Fire Rescue’s substance-related overdose calls in 2025.
Even with the data, Westerholm said it is important to remember the people behind the numbers.
“These are not numbers,” Westerholm said. “These are brothers, partners, husbands, wives and children.”
For Slusser, recovery has also meant working to rebuild relationships with her children and continuing to stay involved in the recovery community.
She said she now does service work through Released Reentry and the Nehemiah Project and plans to participate in another recovery event in September.
Rea said the people who have gone through recovery have a responsibility to help those who are still struggling.
“We recover out loud for those who are still suffering silently,” Rea said.
