At Koreatown Storytelling Program, where we first-hand see how the experience of talking through and telling one's story in the interview process benefits both the narrator and the interviewer, we decided to partner with KYCC’s Prevention Education and Recovery Services units to bring a storytelling aspect to the work they are doing in the field. In partnership with Jacquline Garay and Omar Amador, as well as with support from intern Joan Kim, the Koreatown Organizing to Reduce Youth Opioid [Use] 2023-24 cohort was formed. Our youth advisory council was comprised of high school youth from the Koreatown, Pico-Union, and Westlake areas who were passionate about community health and increasing awareness and access to recovery for youth who are struggling with substance use disorders. 

KORYO members learned about the different kinds of opioids, styles of treatments, barriers of access for recovery, how to conduct outreach and talk to their peers about substance use, and how to administer the lifesaving opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone. They attended community events to spread information about opioids and opioid use disorder to community members, personally led Naloxone trainings, and distributed important harm reduction tools like fentanyl test strips and Narcan kits. They learned how to conduct oral history interviews and create an environment where someone feels welcome to tell their story.