The Chicago Recovery Alliance team is grieving the passing of Antonio Williams. For well more than half of his life, Antonio was a devoted CRA volunteer. He also was a long-standing member of our Board of Directors. We feel honored that he chose to spend so much of his time helping Chicagoans who use drugs and do sex work achieve Any Positive Change on the terms they set for themselves.

Antonio was 12 years old when he started volunteering at CRA in 2002 — he was our longest running volunteer! Over the years, he got to know CRA’s ins-and-outs so well that he became a natural fit our Board of Directors. He was also a founding member of our youth programs and managed CRA’s Englewood drop-in hours.

While we wish we had more time with him, he contributed so much to CRA’s programs and participants’ lives in his 17 years with us. Antonio will always be a member of the CRA family. Please also join us for food, stories, and community at our annual South Side cook-out, now renamed the Antonio Williams Community Harm Reduction Cook-Out. It will be at our 1114 West 63rd office– stay tuned for the exact August date.