Cochise Harm Reduction (CHR), founded by Lu Funk in 2019, is transforming public health in rural Cochise County, Arizona. What began as a grassroots syringe exchange in Lu Funk’s car has grown into an essential mutual-aid organization, now serving hundreds across the region. “Our lived experience is our strength,” says Funk, emphasizing CHR’s peer-led approach—many team members have firsthand experience with substance use, recovery, or homelessness, ensuring services are empathetic and effective. In 2023, CHR expanded its team from two to eleven, allowing a 225% increase in participant reach and distributing over 13,000 naloxone doses and 155,000 sterile syringes. Their efforts have directly contributed to a drop in local overdose deaths, with participants reporting 134 overdose reversals in the past year alone.
CHR offers a wide range of services, from syringe exchange and wound care to HIV and hepatitis C testing, all delivered via mobile outreach routes in Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Douglas, Willcox, and Benson. The organization’s strong partnerships with local agencies have amplified its impact, creating a model for rural harm reduction that is now being studied and replicated elsewhere. “We’re not just saving lives—we’re building trust and changing what’s possible in rural health,” Funk notes. Community support is vital to CHR’s mission, with opportunities to volunteer, donate, or participate in overdose prevention training. To learn more or get involved, visit cochiseharmreduction.org/get-involved.