ABC’s East Harlem Echo Park location is opposite OnPoint NYC, a harm reduction and safe injection site. Many opponents of OnPoint argue that its location so close to the school makes the area more dangerous for the students, but ABC views this as an opportunity to work together to better help the residents of East Harlem. ABC's partnership with OnPoint was recently featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

“OnPoint didn’t bring the substance abuse problem to our neighborhood. They came in and saved lives,” said Gretchen Buchenholz, ABC’s Executive director. “I want them to continue doing what they are doing, which is being the best neighbors they can be.”

Gretchen and ABC have been continuously working with parents and OnPoint to make the situation as safe and comfortable as possible for everyone. Soon after OnPoint opened in 2021, ABC hosted a community meeting, where parents and ABC community members brainstormed ways to make their neighborhood feel safe. These ideas included keeping needles off the sidewalk and parking the NARCAN vehicle on the other side of the street, which OnPoint began doing the very next day.

ABC’s partnership with OnPoint started there, and it’s only grown stronger through the years. Because of OnPoint, security guards now patrol the street outside Echo Park, making it a more protected area than most streets in East Harlem. And earlier this year, OnPoint provided a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for parents of ABC, helping to familiarize them with the organization and dispel their concerns. We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with OnPoint to make our neighborhood a safer and more equitable place for our kids.