We represents a harm-reduction approach: meeting people where they are, offering support, not only insisting on abstinence. Forcing treatment can set people up to fail.

We are a bridge for reconnection: many clients are disconnected from family, the messaging center tries to rebuild those ties. That social connection is often undervalued in addiction-services discussions.

We are embedded in the local ecosystem: The fact that we are located right on Kensington Avenue means we are accessible to many of the vulnerable people in that corridor. That proximity is important in outreach.

The neighborhood: The area of Kensington has been hard-hit by the opioid crisis, homelessness, and open-air drug use. Sunshine House is positioned right in the midst of that.

Community response: While Sunshine House receives praise for its grassroots work, it also faces tensions with local government and residents over how best to address substance use and the open-air drug market.

Scale: According to reports, in its early months more than 12,000 visitors came through the doors.

Overdose-reversal training: Roz Pichardo has personally saved thousands of lives via naloxone (“Narcan”) interventions in Kensington.

A “messaging centre” where people experiencing addiction, housing instability or separation from family (“sunshines” as Pichardo calls them) can make or receive calls, reconnect with loved ones, or leave messages.

Distribution of basic necessities: clothing, personal hygiene items, snacks, wound-care supplies, and a safe indoor space to rest.

Workshops & training: gunshot first aid, overdose prevention, trauma-informed care, and volunteer education.