How Chalu Banarsee Overcame Drug Dependency with help from GLIDE
Chalu Banarsee doesn’t tell his story in a straight line. He starts in Guyana — singing in church as a kid — and then you’re in Brooklyn, then on tour, then deep in the streets of San Francisco. Then he circles back. Faith, music, survival, loss, all layered together. But one thing comes through clearly: he’s still here. And there were moments when that wasn’t guaranteed. “I’ve been cut, stabbed, punched, beat, poisoned,” he says. “I’ve died seven times.”
Contingency Management at GLIDE: A Promising New Tool for Addiction Recovery
Contingency management might sound like complex bureaucratic jargon. But the core tenant of the program is simple: reward people for making healthier choices. “Looking to change your stimulant use? Want to earn gift cards for reaching your goals?” That’s the message printed on flyers decorating GLIDE’s lobby, advertising the new Contingency Management Program that began […]
A Nuanced Conversation on Addiction, Recovery, and the Spectrum of Care: Meeting People Where They Are
In a city grappling with a public health crisis and visible human suffering on its streets, the conversation wasn’t about quick fixes or ideology. It was about what works—what’s real—for different people. And what emerged was a shared truth: there is no single path to recovery.
From Riverbed to Renewal: Tami’s Journey to Hope
When Tami stepped off a train into San Francisco three years ago, she carried almost nothing—just the clothes on her back—and a quiet determination that things had to change. Her arrival was the culmination of years spent surviving on the margins: childhood loss, decades of addiction, and life in a dangerous riverbed outside Madera County.
Overcoming Fentanyl Dependency at GLIDE’s Health Hub
“Fentanyl has ravaged San Francisco. No two ways about it. I’ve seen so many people die from it. I watched 4 people die from Fentanyl addiction while I gave them CPR, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. This is so far from normal.