We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joseph Torrigino-Baca a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joseph, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I have worked on is the Naloxone (Narcan) host box program with the Lemon-Aide Project. The purpose of the program is to not only spread awareness about the Fentanyl and Opioid epidemic but to also give the community the resources to protect their friends, families and strangers. I was approached by the President of the Lemon-aide Project Shannon Parkhurst and was asked if I would be interested in building a box that would be able to house Narcan and install them at residences. I heard the idea and went straight to work building something that would not only be beautiful but would be useful to the community. Once the first box was installed, the project hit social media and then a local Bay Area News station, that’s when I knew that what we were doing was very meaningful to not only us but the community as well.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Joseph, I grew up in the Bay Area in California. I went to school to become a Firefighter and EMT. I volunteered with the City of Suisun City Fire Department and also with an EMT Company that was based mostly in San Francisco CA. During my time as a Volunteer Firefighter I stumbled upon the Railroad Industry and it really peaked my interest. I took a chance and made the choice to re direct my career.

I am currently a Transportation Supervisor with a Railroad called Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (S.M.A.R.T.). I began my career there in July 2019 as a Train Conductor, I promoted to Train Engineer in April 2020 and then in April 2021 I promoted to my current role as a Transportation Supervisor. Before that I worked for a freight railroad called BNSF Railway as a Train Conductor from 2013 to 2019. I currently provide the residents of Sonoma and Marin County with their transportation needs in a dispatching capacity. To me my role is crucial in that I am responsible for many train crew members and dictating the movement in which trains traverse the alignment in the most safe and efficient manner. I am also a certified CPR instructor, I train employees in house and teach them how to use of Narcan in case of emergencies.

I am very proud of my career path and thoroughly enjoy providing the service of transportation. I am very dedicated to helping others and giving back to my community. That’s why I was really excited to join the Lemon-Aide Project and begin creating the Narcan host box program

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The main goal for the Narcan Host box program is to give the community the resources and tools to protect their loved ones and maybe even a stranger. The Fentanyl and Opioid crisis has given me a drive to put my skills to use. I Hand craft each box in my spare time and personally install them. Growing up in the Bay Area and having a history in the medical and firefighting field I had seen a lot of the effects of these drugs and not only the physical toll it takes on the individual but also the emotional trauma families suffer from loved ones passing. Overdoses are not just self induced, there are many cases of accidental exposure and my goal is to bring awareness to the community and help with prevention.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of the Volunteer work that I am doing is seeing the families that are grateful for the work being put into this and the support they provide for the Lemon-Aide Project. Meeting the families of victims of the Opioid and Fentanyl crisis have truly inspired me to help them along their journey as they work tirelessly to spread awareness. What I am doing is such a small part of this story and hoping that this will inspire others to create their own way of giving back. To me I feel that this work brings light to a dark place and gives the families of the victims voices.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lemonaideproject.org
• Instagram: lemon_aide_project_
• Facebook: Lemon Aide Project