Betty's Circle Outreach for Recovery and Harm Reduction

11/03/2025

We support feeding America.
SNAP is paused during the federal government shutdown, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply!

Applying for SNAP during the shutdown is the fastest way for us to get you your benefits as soon as possible once the shutdown is over. Don’t wait, or you might miss benefits you are eligible for!
➡️ dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS
Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government provides funding for SNAP, and we are unable to begin the 2025-26 LIHEAP season.

For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate at pa-navigate.org to help find resources. Local help is also available by visiting pa211.org. For utility assistance, Pennsylvanians can search “utility assistance” at www.puc.pa.gov or contact their utility companies directly to see what programs are available.

Learn more at dhs.pa.gov/shutdownFAQs

Due to Federal Government Shutdown, Opening of the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Season Delayed to December: https://bit.ly/474wRMV

Due to the federal government shutdown, Pennsylvania must delay the opening of the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season by one month, until December 3, 2025, because the Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet received its federal allocation for 2025-2026 LIHEAP funds. Without action from the White House or the Republican-controlled Congress to reopen the federal government or release LIHEAP funding to states, DHS will be unable to open the LIHEAP season as previously scheduled on November 3, 2025.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS where benefits are distributed directly to a household’s utility company or home heating fuel provider on behalf of qualified Pennsylvanians who need help paying their home heating bills during winter months. On average, Pennsylvania receives more than $215 million every year for LIHEAP – in 2023, the Commonwealth received $216 million and in 2024, $229 million. Pennsylvania cannot backfill these costs.

“The LIHEAP Program helps more than 300,000 Pennsylvania families heat their homes during the colder months – and is especially critical for older adults and low-income families. Inaction from the Republican-controlled Congress now threatens access to this assistance,” said Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “I urge Congress and the White House to recognize the serious consequences that limiting heating assistance will have on the health and safety of people in Pennsylvania. Congress must come together for a solution that protects people most at risk.”

For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate at pa-navigate.org to help find resources. Local help is also available by calling 211 or visiting pa211.org

11/03/2025

11/03/2025

You have more impact than you know,
in a million little ways:
In the way you make others feel welcome and accepted,
In the way you listen,
In the way you love,
In the way you remember details that others may not have noticed,
In the way you make someone laugh when they needed a laugh the most,
In the way you recognize the importance of rest,
In the way you send a text that might remind someone they haven’t been forgotten (even if they forget to respond!)…

You have more impact than you know
when you say “yes” or “no” when you need to,
when you are kind to yourself…

You have more impact than you know
in ways that are beyond words, but still matter,
and the list of possibilities goes on and on…
MHN

11/03/2025

From addiction actually.
Emotions/Emotion Regulation.
Emotions are crucial in navigating everyday life. Many of life's problems can be solved or eased by better emotional awareness/regulation.

"I need a drink after that"
"The day I've had.."
"She made me so angry"
"He had such road rage .."
"It's like treading on eggshells coming home from
school/college/work''...

Emotional awareness is key to emotion regulation.
Emotion regulation is a core relapse prevention skill.

Not needing to change the way we feel with anger outbursts, unhealthy lifestyle choices :drink, drugs, feeding our feelings, overeating, spending, shopping, gambling, other forms of self harm/unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Most of us have a more than reasonable grasp on emotional literacy.

We know that we need the so called ' negative emotions' as much as the feel good 'positive emotions'.

If we've never experienced sadness then we wouldn't know joy.
[ ie :the movie Inside Out and its sequel].
Yet still we go about our day, or many of us do - blaming external issues for rising levels of stress, overwhelm, reactivity.

It doesn't have to be this way.

[Image credit : Brene Brown who adapted the seminal work of Wilcox, Plutchik & Zinker]

10/09/2025

Safe Syringe Programs Are NOT Enabling. They’re Empowering.

Let’s get something straight — giving someone clean supplies is NOT giving them permission to use. It’s giving them a chance to live long enough to choose recovery one day.

You can’t help someone who’s dead from infection, Hep C, or an overdose. Period. Harm reduction isn’t about saying “keep using.” It’s about saying, “your life matters right now — even if you’re still using.”

Safe syringe programs are about:
🩸 Preventing HIV, Hep C, and deadly abscesses
💬 Building trust and connection
💖 Meeting people where they are, without shame or judgment
🌱 Keeping the door open for recovery, treatment, and healing

Nobody has ever been shamed into sobriety. But plenty of people have found hope because someone cared enough to hand them a clean syringe and say, “I see you. You’re worth saving.”

So no — we’re not “enabling.”
We’re keeping people alive.
And that’s the first step in every single recovery story that’s ever been written.

📍 Location & Contact

Office / main address: 460 Melwood Avenue, Suite/Floor 1 (or #205 depending on source), Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Phone: (412) 247-3404

They also have mobile/outreach “white van” locations in various neighborhoods.

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⚙️ What Services They Offer

Prevention Point isn’t just for syringe exchange — they offer a broad harm-reduction suite. Some of the key services:

Free, sterile syringes (several sizes) — no ID needed.

Collection / sharps containers for safe disposal.

Other safer supplies: alcohol wipes, cookers, filters, sterile water, etc.

Naloxone / NARCAN (for overdose prevention)

Test strips (fentanyl / xylazine) to help detect contaminants in drugs.

Wound & vein care support.

HIV, Hepatitis C, and STD testing via partnership with Allies for Health + Wellbeing.

Case management, risk reduction counseling, referrals for housing, medical care, etc.

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🕒 Times & Mobile Van Schedules

PPP operates both from their main location and via mobile/outreach vans. Here are some of their regular times:

Neighborhood / Location Time / Day

East Liberty (Office / Sunday mobile) Sundays, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Perry Hilltop (white van) Tuesdays, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Hill District (white van) Wednesdays, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Carrick / Overbrook Thursdays, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Homewood Fridays, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

(Always good to double-check on their site or by phone before heading out — schedules can shift due to weather, staff, outreach conditions.)

09/29/2025

Day 29

🪞 Reflection: What does recovery mean to YOU today?
For me: It means freedom, breath, and the ability to love my people with a clear heart. Drop your reflections below.

09/28/2025

Day 28

🌟 Naloxone saves lives. Carry it. Learn to use it. Train your kids, your neighbors, your family. Harm reduction turns bystanders into lifesavers.

09/27/2025

Day 27

🙌 Look at how far we’ve come together. This group is proof that community heals. Every post, every share, every comment—this is recovery in motion. 💜