DELAND, Fla. — As a result of the national opioid crisis, many government agencies throughout the country have filed lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to hold them accountable.

Florida has entered into agreements with local governments to receive settlement funds. One local organization in Volusia County has received opioid abatement funding that they’re putting to use in the form of vending machines that dispense Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses.

“The first thing that we do is just type in the number of the field that you want, and then you hit enter here, and it dispenses it,” Katherine Russell said, explaining the process of getting a Narcan kit from a vending machine.

Russell is the founder and CEO of Foundations To Freedom, a nonprofit organization in DeLand that works to help individuals seeking recovery from substance abuse disorders.

She says the idea of having a Narcan vending machine at their main office, located at 339 E New York Ave., initially came from a request from Volusia County.

“Members of the county came and toured Foundations To Freedom right as the opioid abatement grants were coming up," Russell said. "And they had asked that we install Narcan vending machines in our community — one right here at my main location, because it is directly across the street from a high overdose area."

She emphasized the importance of providing access for such a critical resource as Narcan, and said the funding awarded by the county will allow them to reach even more individuals in crisis, and provide life-saving intervention when needed.

According to Russell, the cost of each Narcan vending machine is roughly $12,000, which is covered by the Opioid Abatement Funding. They are free to use by anyone anonymously. Russell said they also have gloves and masks at the vending machine for people to use when administering Narcan.

According to data from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, from Jan. 1 to Feb. 24, deputies responded to 97 overdoses countywide, which is a 45% decrease compared to the 178 overdoses in the same period in 2024. They have also seen a 57% decrease in overdose deaths compared to last year.

“The overdose death numbers are down, and the reason for that is the Narcan," Russell said. "Having Narcan readily available to anyone who needs it, anybody who desires to carry it on them, can be the difference of a life lost or a life saved."

Since the vending machine was installed at the DeLand location on Jan. 27, Russell said a total of 61 boxes have been taken out.

With an increased need to fight opioid overdoses, Foundations to Freedom is now expanding its life-saving initiative by adding a second vending machine in the east side of the county.

“In order to place the machines, we use a county-provided map that shows us the amount of overdoses in the area,” Russell said.

The second vending machine will be located outside of The Grocery Box, a convenience store in Ormond Beach. Owner Hiteshkumar Patel said he’s experienced people passing out outside the store and saw this as an opportunity to help the community.

“They’ve known me for the last two or three years, so we’ve been talking," Patel said. "So, I said, 'Let me try to help the community to help.' That’s why I decided to put it there."

With the recent grant award, six new vending machines will be placed in highly saturated overdose areas. The goal is to eventually have 18 machines in locations throughout the county.

Having struggled with substance abuse herself, Russell said the initiative is personal, and she looks forward to continuing helping the community.

“I had my very first sponsor in recovery who, when I was struggling to stay clean, showed up for me and showed me a sense of friendship and love and compassion and family that I hadn’t had in a very long time," she said. "And now I get to pay it forward to other people who are suffering today."