Hope Council commissioned the county’s first 24/7 Public Health Vending Machine, stocked with no-cost naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, safe disposal kits, safer-use supplies, and other health items. Help became available at 2 a.m. on a holiday — no appointment, no questions, no judgment.

In 2023, Hope Council hosted its inaugural Light Up the Longest Night event — a community gathering of luminaries and reflection to remember those lost to addiction and celebrate those in recovery. Grief and hope, held in the same place.

Through grant-funded partnerships with Kenosha Unified School District, Kenosha County Public Health, and community coalitions, Hope Council brings vaping and substance use prevention directly to youth — meeting the next generation before a struggle starts.

From the Kenosha Firefighters C.A.R.E. program raising funds for children impacted by a parent’s substance use, to the volunteers and donors behind every program, Hope Council’s milestones belong to the whole community.

Ready, not ready, starting over, court-ordered, or worried about someone else — there is no wrong starting point. Support begins wherever a person actually is, not where anyone thinks they should be.

Kenosha’s systems of care — treatment providers, courts, public health, schools, recovery communities — can feel impossible to navigate alone. Hope Council connects people to the right support at the right time, through assessment, referral, and peer navigation.

Peer support, recovery coaching, naloxone training, and risk-reduction supplies are no-cost. Services continue regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The fewer the barriers, the more people get help.

Substance use affects everyone who loves the person using. The Loved Ones Support Group, Parent Peer Support, and supervised parenting time mean families heal too — not just individuals.

Recovery is only possible for people who survive. Naloxone access, overdose recognition training, test strips, and safer-use supplies reflect a simple priority: safety first, every step counts.

School-based education, community training, coalition work, and commercial tobacco & vaping prevention reduce harm before it starts — so fewer Kenosha families ever need the rest of what Hope Council does.