Hennepin County - Help Is Here
On August 5, Neighborhood HealthSource will host the Fremont Family Fun Fest in North Minneapolis—an event combining music, food, and games with vital services like on-site HIV and STI testing, harm reduction education, and Narcan training. As overdose rates remain high in Minnesota, this free gathering offers connection, care, and lifesaving resources where they’re needed most.
North Minneapolis families are invited to a special evening of connection and community care at the Fremont Family Fun Fest, hosted by Neighborhood HealthSource (NHS) on Tuesday, August 5, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 3300 Fremont Ave. N. This free event, sponsored by Medica, features music, food, activities, raffles, and essential health services—including on-site STI and rapid HIV testing with gift card incentives.
But beyond the festivities, NHS is making a powerful statement: help is here—especially when it comes to supporting people affected by opioid use. At a time when overdose deaths in Minnesota remain too high, innovative approaches like harm reduction and community outreach are saving lives.
“Our Fremont Fun Fest is incredibly important right now, bringing neighbors and organizations together to reconnect,” says Bridget Kumar, NHS Director of Community Health and Fund Development. “A sense of community is essential, and this is a space to support one another in meaningful ways.”
Attendees can explore health booths, meet NHS’s care team, receive free testing and resources, participate in kids’ activities including a bounce house, enjoy live music, and take chances on raffle prizes.
Opioid crisis in Minnesota: Why NHS’s work is critical
While Minnesota saw an estimated 8% decline in overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023, it still recorded over 1,200 overdose deaths last year—most of those involving opioids.¹ In Minneapolis, opioid-related overdose deaths rose from 206 in 2022 to 251 in 2023, largely tied to fentanyl.²
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, opiate-involved deaths surged by over 44% between 2020 and 2021, reaching historic highs in 2021.³ Disproportionately, Black and Indigenous Minnesotans are several times more likely to experience fatal overdose compared to white residents.⁴
In the face of these realities, NHS’s combination of public care and harm reduction is crucial to halting stigma and building trust.
Harm reduction in action
Jordan Abhold, MPH, EMT-B, Community Health Manager of NHS’s Opioid & Harm Reduction Team, emphasizes the power of small actions:
“This is a space where ordinary people like me can have such an outsized impact. Learning to use Narcan and other harm reduction tools can literally save someone’s life in just minutes.”
Abhold challenges common assumptions about addiction:
“There is no one ‘type’ of person who struggles with substances—this disorder does not discriminate. The difference often comes down to resources available to access care.”
NHS goes beyond standard care by embracing a harm reduction approach; one that honors each individual’s journey. Abhold explains:
“People don’t need to ‘hit rock bottom’ or endure ‘tough love’ to get help. Support, not denial, is often the key to survival. A dead person can’t recover, but someone with help can.”
The clinic offers:
- Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
- Naloxone (Narcan) distribution and training
- Behavioral health and therapy services
- Sliding fee scale and MNsure support from Patient Access Coordinators
- Community health navigators connecting clients to housing, food, or other social services
Event details at a glance
- What: Fremont Family Fun Fest – free food, kids’ games, music, health resources
- When: Tuesday, August 5 | 4:30–7:00 p.m.
- Where: NHS Fremont Clinic, 3300 Fremont Ave N, Minneapolis
- Who: NHS community, health partners, neighbors
- Cost: Free entry; STI/HIV testing included
- Sponsored by: Medica
As North Minneapolis comes together for a festive evening, Fremont Fun Fest is a reminder that healthcare must meet people where they are. Through events like this, NHS not only celebrates community, it extends life-saving care where it is needed most.
For more information, visit neighborhoodhealthsource.org or call 612‑588‑9411.
Help is Here is a partnership between MSR and Hennepin County created to highlight local organizations committed to the recovery and education within the Black community surrounding opioid addiction. For more information, visit “Help is Here” section.
