The first public health vending machines in Staten Island opened last week, increasing access to free health and harm reduction supplies across the borough.
The two machines are located in Port Richmond, situated outside A Chance in Life and Community Health Action of Staten Island. They are stocked with supplies ranging from socks and condoms to naloxone and fentanyl test strips. To access the machines, users can enter any New York City ZIP code. No form of ID or payment is required.
In 2023, the city’s first four vending machines opened throughout Brooklyn and Queens; they have since been used more than 70,000 times, according to the press release on the topic. The Staten Island machines were opened by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Health Department and the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness (SIPCW) as an expansion of the initiative.
Discussion surrounding the machines started in March of last year when SIPCW invited A Chance in Life to join the initiative, according to Elser Llanos, vice president of programs at A Chance in Life.
“We were picked because of the location of where we are, right at the North Shore of Staten Island, and also because it aligns with our mission,” Llanos said. “We serve at-risk youth, and in general here on Staten Island, we serve the community through different programs, education, health care and workforce development.”
More than $12 million of the city’s opioid settlement funds “allocated in 2023 to expand prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services across the borough,” funded the Staten Island machines, per the press release. Already, these machines are being put to use.
“People have started to come ask about the machine already,” Llanos said, just two days after the machines were announced. “I was checking today, and most of the products are almost gone.”
One of the public health vending machines in Staten Island.Photo courtesy of A Chance in Life
In 2013, Staten Island recorded the highest number of accidental overdose deaths of any borough. In 2024, the borough had the second-lowest. Studies have found that increasing access to harm reduction supplies, through these vending machines and other outreach programs, help reduce overdose deaths. Expanding the initiative is just the next step.
For A Chance in Life, this has inspired some expansion of their own.
“Related to this initiative, we are implementing more and more programs to serve the community,” Llanos said. “We’re trying to hopefully become not only a center where resources are distributed, but also emphasizing education towards prevention of overdose.”
For Llanos, understanding and empathizing with the community is key to helping residents.
“We have seen a lot of growth in what we do here, and that is entirely [due to] the strong connection we have established with the community,” Llanos said. “[I want to] just highlight the importance that any nonprofit or organization that’s serving the community should be able to read the needs of their community to offer relevant services that can support them.”
Anyone can access the machines at 1100 Castleton Ave. and 2134 Richmond Terrace. Both locations host weekly food pantries, and community members can connect with A Chance in Life on Staten Island through its Instagram account, @thevillage_achanceinlife, for further resources.