We sat down with Chloe Goodison to learn about her journey from the Youth Committee of the Tri-Cities Community Action Team (CAT) to becoming the Founder & Executive Director of NaloxHome Society. Here’s her story:
“Growing up in Port Moody, I had never encountered the concept of an overdose. I knew about the Downtown Eastside, but it felt distant, like it wasn’t something my community needed to worry about. Everything changed one day in high school while riding the SkyTrain. I noticed someone who looked familiar; their fingertips were turning blue. Someone called 911, but no one around recognized the signs of drug poisoning. Firefighters arrived and administered naloxone, saving her life. This moment profoundly impacted me—it highlighted the urgent need to educate my community.
While working in Recreation for a local municipality, I received an email inviting me to join the Youth Committee of the Tri-Cities Community Action Team (CAT). We collaborated on meaningful projects, including creating a mural, and this experience sparked my passion for harm reduction and health promotion. Working alongside nurses from the Health Authority was inspiring and transformative.
After graduating high school, I enrolled at SFU and quickly became active in promoting overdose education. I launched my organization, NaloxHome, aimed at stigma-free, youth-to-youth overdose training. To date, we’ve trained over 40,000 youth across BC, offering all our programs for free. Our mission is simple—we go wherever we are needed.
NaloxHome’s journey began when I participated in SFU’s Student Community Engagement Competition during my first year of university, amidst the pandemic. I identified a significant gap in community overdose awareness and secured a $3,000 grant, backed by letters of support from CAT organizations. This seed funding lasted 18 months, enabling us to establish a website and deliver presentations at local schools. What started as a single presentation at my former high school rapidly grew as word spread, leading to numerous requests from other educators.
Today, NaloxHome is deeply connected to its roots in the CAT network. We remain active members, and the CAT Coordinator serves on our Board of Directors, grounding us in our community base.
Reflecting on my journey from a CAT member to the Executive Director of a registered charity, I recognize the immense value of community-driven initiatives. The CAT model provided essential infrastructure and support, creating a pipeline between community needs and impactful actions. It offered me invaluable volunteer opportunities that shaped my career path.
My advice to young people embarking on similar initiatives is to seek out passionate youth and empower them with leadership opportunities. Youth have a unique voice and perspective—lean into their enthusiasm and ideas. CATs are truly the voice of the community, representing its entirety.
For youth-led initiatives, small grants between $3,000 and $10,000 offer significant opportunities, although larger-scale growth poses challenges, particularly in sustaining staff through restricted funding. To overcome this, it’s crucial to build relationships with local organizations and clearly identify how new initiatives can complement and enhance existing services.
Thinking back to that pivotal day on the SkyTrain, I realize the importance of immediate and informed responses to overdose situations. We saved a young life, but faster recognition could have made a critical difference. It’s our mission now to ensure youth everywhere are prepared, knowledgeable, and ready to act swiftly.
The CAT experience didn’t just change my life—it shaped my purpose and passion, connecting me deeply to my community and its ongoing health and well-being.”
On August 14, NaloxHome hosted a fundraising Gala which CAI sponsored, please follow this link to see more about NaloxHome Society.