The Frontline Fund grants program supports organizations on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, with each round of grants featuring a specific focus area. In 2023, RIZE awarded grants to 13 nonprofits supporting youth and families affected by opioid use disorder. The nearly $65,000 in funding is supporting projects or initiatives that enhance access to culturally responsive substance use prevention, education, treatment and services for youth and families across Massachusetts.

The following organizations were awarded Frontline Fund grants in 2023:

• Action for Boston Community Development, William J. Ostiguy High School, Boston
• Behavioral Health Innovators, Inc., Chatham
• Boston Medical Center
• Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Boston
• Fathers’ Uplift
• Jeff’s Place, Framingham
• Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre
• Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, Boston
• Out For Good, Boston
• Ricky, Inc., Norwood
• To the Moon and Back, Plymouth
• United Way of Plymouth County, Brockton
• Worcester Addresses Childhood Trauma, Worcester

In its first round, RIZE awarded grants to 17 organizations to support harm reduction efforts for people living with substance use disorder across Massachusetts.

The grants, totaling just over $75,000, covered the costs of harm reduction supplies, including approximately 650 hygiene kits, 80,000 clean syringes, 1,000 safer smoking kits and 5,000 fentanyl test strips. These supplies help lower the risk of overdose deaths and prevent the spread of disease. The funding also addressed frontline worker wellness, including staff training. The grants ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 and were based on the size and requests of the applicant.

The following organizations were awarded Frontline Fund grants in January 2022:

• AIDS Project Worcester
• AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod (Barnstable)
• Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
• BAMSI (Brockton)
• Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
• City of Everett
• HRH413 (Northampton)
• Lynn Community Health Center
• MOAR/Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (Boston)
• Montachusett Recovery Club (Leominster)
• Plymouth County Outreach (Plymouth)
• Restoration Recovery Center (Fitchburg)
• Road to Care at UMass Memorial Medical Center (Worcester)
• Rosie’s Place (Boston)
• SSTAR (Fall River)
• Tapestry Health Systems (Springfield)
• Victory Programs (Boston)

In recognition of Recovery Month, RIZE accepted applications in September 2022 for grants up to $5,000 to fund a wide range of activities that support person-centered approaches to recovery. This cycle of Frontline Fund grants supported organizations who help people meet their recovery goals and eliminate barriers to care, no matter what type of treatment they seek, or how they define treatment.

The awards covered supplies, activities, or personnel costs in support of recovery related efforted including but not limited to:

• Increasing access to recovery services
• Addressing unmet health and social needs of clients
• Supporting the workforce

In October 2022, RIZE awarded nearly $85,000 in funding to the following 17 organizations:

• Addiction Referral Center (Marlborough)
• Black Behavioral Health Network (Springfield)
• Community Program for Addiction Recovery (Worcester area)
• Fathers’ UpLift (Dorchester)
• Gilly’s House (Wrentham)
• Gloucester Police Department’s Community Impact Unit (Gloucester)
• Lowell House (Lowell)
• MOAR/Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (Boston)
• Montachusett Recovery Center (Leominster)
• NamaStay Sober (Boston)
• Northampton Recovery Center (Northampton)
• One Life at a Time (Braintree)
• Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction (New Bedford)
• Recovery Without Walls (Falmouth)
• Resources for Recovery (Boston)
• Restoration Recovery Center (Fitchburg)
• River to Recovery (Fall River)