Annapolis OEM outlines Food Friday distribution and overdose prevention funding, cites fall in Ward 3 overdoses

Kevin Simmons, director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), briefed the Public Safety Standing Committee on May 5 about neighborhood food distribution and the city’s overdose prevention efforts in Ward 3.

Food distribution: Simmons said the Food Friday program distributes about 300 boxes of food each week to food‑insecure residents across Annapolis, and OEM recently partnered with First Baptist on West Washington Street to improve distribution efficiency. Ward 3 Food Friday figures he reported include 41 families served (28 individuals, 21 seniors and 41 children stated on the slide), with Bowman Drive among the locations receiving the most deliveries.

Overdose prevention and data: Simmons told the committee that Ward 3 had 18 overdoses in 2024 — “the tide for the second lowest since we've been keeping record in 2015” — and that the ward reported two fatal overdoses that year. He said Narcan use in Ward 3 was about 83%, which he described as evidence the training and distribution program is working. Simmons noted time‑of‑day and day‑of‑week trends: many overdoses occurred Friday evenings between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Funding and programs: Simmons explained funding sources for the city’s opioid response: opioid restitution funds received by the city and a health department block grant. He outlined program expenditures as presented: NAM (program supplies, contract services and one staff) at a little over $50,000; the fire department’s “Your Life Matters” overtime and supplies at about $37,000; the Annapolis Police Department substance‑use program at about $29,000 (mostly overtime and civilian staff costs); and the OD Free umbrella program managed by OEM at about $35,000 from the health department block grant for contracts, staffing and training.

Shelter and harm‑reduction notes: Simmons and committee members raised the Lighthouse shelter’s leadership instability as a complicating factor in outreach there. Simmons said the city identified the Lighthouse as a priority location for harm reduction initiatives, such as vending machines for supplies, but said implementation required funding and operational decisions.

Next steps: Simmons said OEM will continue targeted outreach in overdose hotspots, coordinate with police and fire opioid prevention liaisons, and provide the committee with program reports. He directed interested council members to the OD Free annual report on annapolis.gov/odfree for more detail.