Many people notice problems within their community, but not everyone is brave enough to do something about them. Kristen Martin grew up in Gary where many of her family members, friends, and even herself struggled with substance use. Martin could’ve stayed quiet, but instead, she stood up to fight the stigma surrounding substance use, and that has made all the difference.
Martin graduated from Calumet New Tech High School. After seeing many of her peers and loved ones struggle with substance use, Martin knew her calling was to help people. She went to Vincennes University and earned her associate’s in psychology but realized after graduating that she wanted to pursue work that was more solution-focused.
With this new realization, Martin went to Indiana University Bloomington to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. After graduating, Martin could have gone anywhere, but she knew that it was important to move back to Gary and use her knowledge to help the community she grew up in.
“I moved back out here once I got my master’s because I realized I became a social worker to be of service to the area I grew up in. There were tons of people who were helping in Bloomington, but we really needed more helpers up here, so I came back to Gary,” said Martin.
Martin started working at a medicated assisted treatment facility and began to notice a lot of people were still using substances without having low-barrier access to overdose prevention resources and NARCAN, a medicine used to reverse the effects of opioids. This bothered Martin – she didn’t understand why there was a lack of resources in Gary when other areas, such as Bloomington, had many resources available for substance users.
Martin started asking questions and was repeatedly told that making NARCAN more accessible would be too controversial and difficult. Everything changed, though, when Martin lost a friend to an overdose.
“Right at the start of the COVID shutdown, my friend who recreationally used cocaine overdosed on cocaine that had fentanyl in it. The people that were with him left him to die, and I just thought that was such a senseless death. I’m sure those people who were with him were afraid of calling for help, and I knew if I could just get more NARCAN into the hands of drug users, more people would stay alive. It became my mission to get NARCAN out there, train people on how to use it, and help destigmatize drug use and addiction,” said Martin.
Martin decided then to quit her job and start Gary Harm Reduction, an organization that would help destigmatize substance use and help those in need. It was difficult and intimidating, but her passion and personal experiences drove her.
“I used to be addicted to heroin and, through my recovery and working on myself, I learned that if you're mad enough about something, you have to do something about it,” said Martin.
Martin applied for a grant to receive free NARCAN and started attending substance use groups so that she could share her story and give NARCAN to people for free. She began holding free NARCAN training sessions to teach substance users about NARCAN and how to properly use it. She also formed a partnership with Black Diamond Smoke Shop in Hobart and Griffith so people can go there and pick up NARCAN for free with no questions asked.
The work Martin was doing was incredible, but she wanted to do even more. Last year she decided that she wanted to hold a Recovery Month event in September to continue breaking the stigma surrounding substance use. Her second organization, Region Recovery Riot, was formed. Martin and a group of volunteers met each month to plan the event, and it ended up being more than Martin could ever have hoped for.
“It was just miracle after miracle – there were 100 volunteers and 20 vendors. There were drug users, people in recovery, and supportive families. Someone even gave us a $5,000 donation to have food catered. It was amazing to see people who don’t feel visible in society come together. It was just so cool,” said Martin.
Martin and her Region Recovery Riot committee already have plans to hold another event this coming September, and it's sure to be even bigger and better.
Of course, creating a non-profit is no easy task. Martin has recently had to go back to work full-time to support herself, but she hopes that one day she can quit her day job for good and pour herself into her social work goals. She wants to continue to do everything she can to destigmatize substance use and provide aid to people who need help.
“I just want to keep more people alive,” said Martin.
Martin is grateful for all the organizations who have supported her throughout her journey of creating Gary Harm Reduction and Region Recovery Riot. She’s especially thankful to the Aliveness Project, an organization located in Hammond that has been providing STD awareness and prevention throughout the Region since the AIDS epidemic.
“No matter what, they've always supported me. They've always sent their staff to my events to do testing and they've just always been down for the cause no matter what,” said Martin.
Martin is also thankful for all the people who have helped make her dream of creating a safer Gary a reality. Her Region Recovery Riot committee, her friends who take the time out of their day to check on the NARCAN boxes each week, and her brother have all been immeasurably helpful, and she can’t thank them enough.
Struggling with a substance use disorder or knowing someone who is suffering from a substance use disorder is difficult, but it is not something to be ashamed of. Martin’s story ultimately encourages everyone to move past the stigma and focus on love.
“A lot of people don’t know what to do when someone they love has a substance use disorder or if they have substance use disorder themselves. The best thing I can say is that if you don't know what to do, at the very least just be kind. To yourself, to them – just be kind,” said Martin.