The City of Rochester’s Neighborhood Ambassador Program (NAP is a community-driven initiative designed to address the opioid crisis while fostering safer, cleaner, and more connected neighborhoods. Funded through the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) opioid compensation funds, this one-year pilot program collaborates with local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to engage residents across the city’s four quadrants.

Through this program, Neighborhood Ambassadors are recruited, trained, and supported to serve as vital links between the community and the City. Ambassadors work on relationship building, resource referrals, anti-litter efforts, and opioid crisis interventions, including distributing naloxone (Narcan) kits. Each CBO facilitates public education on drug disposal, emergency response, and overdose prevention, while also providing wraparound services to ambassadors, including job training and health checkups.

The program operates in four target areas — North Clinton Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Lyell Avenue, and Monroe Avenue — through partnerships with trusted local organizations. This initiative exemplifies the City’s commitment to empowering residents, promoting public health, and enhancing the quality of life for all Rochesterians.