In this episode, we interview Jana Dodds as she shares her personal story of lived experience with substance use and homelessness. Jana discusses how she now supports people in our community while completing her Masters of Social Work and offers insights into how we can better support those experiencing homelessness and addiction.

On this special episode of Community Records, we interview Collin Chepeka and Naomi Nichols from the Research for Social Change Lab at Trent University to discuss the topic of housing and homelessness in the upcoming federal election.

DISCLAIMER: One City Peterborough is a non-partisan organization. The information shared reflects one perspective on the parties' platforms to date. We encourage you to explore and research all party platforms to make an informed decision.

On April 9th, One City Peterborough, the Research for Social Change Lab and United Way Peterborough & District hosted a Debate on Housing and Homelessness with the Peterborough candidates. Check out the resources below to learn more about what came from this debate.

1. Transcript with Fact Checks

2. Summary of Candidates' Responses

3. YouTube Recording of the Debate

In this episode, we speak with Shannon Culkeen, a local registered nurse specializing in addiction medicine. She shares her experiences working with community members affected by addiction and offers insights into current treatment models and harm reduction practices.

Clarification from Shannon: During this podcast, Shannon sometimes uses the blanket term "opioids" when she is discussing drugs procured from the street or safer supply programs. But in clinical drug treatment programs, opioids often play a vital role: Methadone is an opioid, and so is Kadian (long-acting morphine). Other medications, like buprenorphine, bind partially to opioid receptors. In real life, our views of what makes a drug "illicit" vs therapeutic are never as simple as naming a single class of drugs. Keep learning!