Lives Are Meant To Be Changed
Driving health, wellness, and prosperity for men of color and their families
Lives Are Meant To Be Changed
Driving health, wellness, and prosperity for men of color and their families
About Lives Are Meant To Be Changed
Our Focus
We focus on men of color in Massachusetts returning from a period of incarceration. We provide them the tools, support, and connections needed to change their lives.
Our Programs
- Substance Use Disorder: Support and treatment connections.
- Education & Employment: GED support and job readiness training.
- Housing & Re-Entry: Stable housing and community reintegration.
- Parenting: Coaching support for fathers.
Call to Action: Men of Color Facing Substance Use Disorder in Massachusetts Need Your Support
Call to Action: Men of Color Facing Substance Use Disorder in Massachusetts Need Your Support
Call to Action: Men of Color Facing Substance Use Disorder in Massachusetts Need Your Support
Massachusetts is facing a substance use crisis that is clearly costing lives and futures—especially among men of color. The data is clear: 3,692 substance-related deaths in the past year alone, and just about half were opioid-related. Behind every number is a son, a father, a daughter, a friend, a neighbor. Progress Is Happening, But We Still Have Gaps
The Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and our partners across the state have made real efforts last year:
- Over 244,000 naloxone kits distributed
- 398,000 fentanyl test strips in the hands of those who need them
- 19,983 people admitted to treatment services last year
These efforts are saving lives every day. But the reality is, men of color are still underrepresented in treatment and overrepresented in recidivism statistics. This isn’t about blame—it’s about urgency. What’s Holding Us Back?
- Cultural barriers and stigma still keep men of color from seeking help.
- Transitions from incarceration to community are too often unsupported, leading to relapse and re-arrest.
- Systemic inequities mean some communities see fewer resources and less culturally-tailored care.
A Path Forward—Together We Can
Call to Action: Men of Color Facing Substance Use Disorder in Massachusetts Need Your Support
Call to Action: Men of Color Facing Substance Use Disorder in Massachusetts Need Your Support
At Lives Are Meant to Be Changed, we’re committed to closing these gaps—not in competition with state agencies, but in collaboration. Our focus:
1. Culturally-informed recovery support that meets men where they are.
2. Reentry programs that bridge the gap between corrections and community.
3. Community-based partnerships that amplify existing resources and voices.
Our Appeal: We need more investment in culturally-specific programs, more collaboration between corrections, public health, and community organizations, and more peer-led support. The 112,364 drug-related ER visits last year are not just numbers—they’re urgent calls for connection, compassion, and action. We invite everyone—public agencies, community leaders, and neighbors—to join us. The work is too important, and the lives at stake are too valuable, for anything less than full partnership. Lives Are Meant to Be Changed is a Boston, nonprofit dedicated to supporting men of color in recovery and reentry. We believe every life can be changed—and every system can be improved. Recovery is possible. Together we can!
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Contact Us
Phone: (857) 230-7058
Lives Are Meant to Be Changed
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