End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours.
We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our VolunteerS of the Week: Grason Pool and Siearah Brousseau!
Read on below for interviews with Grason and Siearah about their inspirations and experiences – thank you both for everything you do for Ednd Overdose!
GRASON POOL
Can you tell us about yourself and your story?
My name’s Grason, I’m 24 years old and I am a lighting director for concerts, festivals, and EDM events in Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up outside of Austin, Texas, where live music is the pulse of the city. As long as I can remember, music has always been the biggest part of my life. The moment I went to my first concert, I remember thinking, “This is what I want to do with the rest of my life.” Of course I didn’t really know what that meant or what it would look like back then. Through the many ups and downs of life I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be. Being a lighting director is so important to me because I get to have a part in creating memorable experiences that for some people might just change their lives, just like it did for me. There’s nothing I’d rather do than create spaces for free expression where people can come dance and celebrate life. Keeping people at these events safe is something I am equally as passionate about so I am extremely grateful for the work EO does in the nightlife and festival industry.
What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?
I found End Overdose in 2022, a year after I got sober from heroin. I remember feeling so grateful and overjoyed that a resource like this existed. When I was in active addiction, my life was constantly being put in danger. I had numerous hospital visits, health issues, and overdoses. At that time it wasn’t as easy to find help and it was even harder to access resources that could help you prevent or respond to an emergency. I got certified online immediately. It was incredibly important to me because of how important my life had become to me. I understood that at any moment in my addiction I could have lost my life without ever realizing how precious it was. With the rise of accidental overdose deaths occurring because of fentanyl I wanted to be able to help people. The path of becoming is often a rocky one and no matter what choices people make along the way their life should not be lost before they get the chance to become who they truly are – ESPECIALLY when there’s something so simple that could be done to prevent this. I wanted to be able to help protect people.
What are your favorite memories of volunteering with End Overdose?
I have two favorite memories with End Overdose. One was when I did my first festival. I loved seeing the hundreds of people taking time out of the experience they paid for, choosing to miss sets so they could come and educate themselves for no other reason than “I want to be able to help.” It was the last day of the fest and I was in the booth when a girl came up to me and burst into tears. She told me that I had trained her yesterday and last night she had saved someone’s life from an overdose. I remember the overwhelming emotion I experienced in that moment because I was seeing firsthand that what we were doing there was making a difference. Even thinking back on this now makes me cry with joy and relief! My second favorite memory is right after me, my partner, and my best friend took over the EO ATL chapter leadership. We had just gotten our first two volunteers and we were so excited. We were all sitting on my back porch one night pitching ideas back and forth for fundraisers, outreach, how we could engage the community and be there for people, and I remember that same joy I felt when that girl told me she had saved someone’s life. I knew in my heart and soul that what we were doing here and now was important and that we were going to help change the world. I still feel this way and will continue to fight for the world I believe in everyday through every training and every opportunity to show people unconditional love and support.
SIEARAH BROUSSEAU
Can you tell us about yourself and your story?
I am a south Florida pediatric trauma emergency medicine nurse. i've been raving since the day I was born, so to me, the EDM community truly is my family. Helping others is what I was born to do.
What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?
I got inspired to start volunteering with End Overdose when my best friend Mansi joined a few years back. We both became so tired of seeing people not being able to help each other due to a lack of knowledge and resources. I knew I wanted to really help people in my community and make a difference. and overdose has allowed me to not only connect with others, but share their pain and use it to make sure that no one else has to suffer. I've been able to cry with people and remember their lost loved ones with them, honor them, and ensure that other people get to live to see another day.
What are your favorite memories of volunteering with End Overdose?
Some of my favorite memories with End Overdose have to be dancing under the rainbows with my team at Forbidden Kingdom, to getting to know the dogs at Electric Forest. End Overdose has literally given me some of my closest friends that I have now get to see all around the country. Meeting people like Adash in Miami, to AJ in LA, to Freddy and Alek in Gainsville, people who are like minded who just want to see others succeed and live a long healthy life. Even in my day-to-day life outside of events, I still get to represent End Overdose and spread our message pass out flyers and educate people because no one else has to die. The work we do is so important – so incredibly, extremely important – because without knowledge, we are like a seed floating down a stream. End Overdose allows us to plant these seeds and give them sunshine so they grow and in exchange, these beautiful plants they flower for us spreading our message helping others they give us a garden that lets us see our hard work and reminds us theres a whole world out there. I get emotional talking about it because End Overdose means so much to me. Planting these seeds, giving education and resources to my community, getting to see people come back to the booth all the time at events all around the country just to say hi and get their friends educated - thats my why. Providing that safe space and positivity. We all need to take care of each other more and End Overdose really allows us that.
