HALO INITIATIVES
HISTORY
HALO Initiatives formally launched in January 2025, but its foundation was laid in 2021, when Brendan Little and Elsa Gomes Bondlow (HALO Initiatives’ Co-Directors and Co-Founders) partnered with Boston BullPen Project to support Boston families with funeral expenses after overdose losses. Brendan, then Policy Director for the City of Boston’s Office of Recovery Services, and Elsa, through her Social Equity Access Fund, combined resources to address a critical gap: financial assistance for families impacted by overdose deaths
Between 2021 and 2024, Brendan and Elsa fielded and fulfilled 16 family requests and advocated for opioid settlement dollars to prioritize grieving families. In 2024, Boston’s Opioid Settlements Project allocated $375,000 to create the Family Overdose Support Fund. The Boston BullPen Project was awarded management of the fund, with Brendan and Elsa named Co-Founders and Co-Directors of HALO Initiatives.
HALO INITIATIVES
HISTORY
HALO Initiatives formally launched in January 2025, but its foundation was laid in 2021, when Brendan Little and Elsa Gomes Bondlow (HALO Initiatives’ Co-Directors and Co-Founders) partnered with Boston BullPen Project to support Boston families with funeral expenses after overdose losses. Brendan, then Policy Director for the City of Boston’s Office of Recovery Services, and Elsa, through her Social Equity Access Fund, combined resources to address a critical gap: financial assistance for families impacted by overdose deaths
Between 2021 and 2024, Brendan and Elsa fielded and fulfilled 16 family requests and advocated for opioid settlement dollars to prioritize grieving families. In 2024, Boston’s Opioid Settlements Project allocated $375,000 to create the Family Overdose Support Fund. The Boston BullPen Project was awarded management of the fund, with Brendan and Elsa named Co-Founders and Co-Directors of HALO Initiatives.
FAMILY OVERDOSE SUPPORT FUND (FOSF)
A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN:
In 2024, the City of Boston announced that they were dedicating $375,000 of the City’s opioid litigation settlements to create a fund that will support family members who lose a loved one to overdose. Boston Public Health Commission released a request-for-proposal seeking a nonprofit partner to co-create, co-develop, and manage what would become the Family Overdose Support Fund. The Boston BullPen Project submitted a proposal – with Brendan and Elsa as the fund’s co-creators and co-managers – and the proposal was granted in October 2024.
In January 2025, Boston BullPen Project formalized the team’s work by creating Healing After Loss to Overdose Initiatives (HALO Initiatives), and naming Brendan and Elsa as Co-Founders and Co-Directors. In the coming years, HALO Initiative will seek to create and deepen partnerships with foundations and private donors to expand their work in impactful and innovative ways. HALO is also seeking additional partnerships with communities, cities, and states that are seeking to effectively utilize their opioid litigation funds for community healing.
FAMILY OVERDOSE SUPPORT FUND
HISTORY
From May-October 2023, the Boston Public Health Commission’s (BPHC) Recovery Services Bureau led a thorough community engagement process, seeking input about how the City of Boston should utilize funds obtained from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. BPHC engaged more than 600 people by leading community and provider listening sessions, surveys, and long-form responses. Most respondents wanted to prioritize the needs of grieving families by providing direct financial support. In January 2024, the City of Boston released the Boston Opioid Settlements Community Engagement Report detailing the findings from this engagement process. One of the report’s key recommendations is that the City of Boston create a Family Overdose Support Fund to support families after a fatal overdose of a family member.
Based on this recommendation, BPHC released an RFP for a nonprofit partner to co-create, manage, and operate the Family Overdose Support Fund fund for Boston residents who lost a family member to a fatal drug overdose. Modeled after funds like One Fund Boston and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, the fund is designed to function as a form of remediation.
In October 2024, BPHC awarded this contract to the Boston BullPen Project as part of its newly-created HALO Initiatives program. HALO’s Co-Founders/Co-Directors, Elsa Gomes Bondlow, and Brendan Little, will directly manage the Family Overdose Support Fund under the guidance of Boston BullPen leadership.
FAMILY OVERDOSE SUPPORT FUND
HISTORY
From May-October 2023, the Boston Public Health Commission’s (BPHC) Recovery Services Bureau led a thorough community engagement process, seeking input about how the City of Boston should utilize funds obtained from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. BPHC engaged more than 600 people by leading community and provider listening sessions, surveys, and long-form responses. Most respondents wanted to prioritize the needs of grieving families by providing direct financial support. In January 2024, the City of Boston released the Boston Opioid Settlements Community Engagement Report detailing the findings from this engagement process. One of the report’s key recommendations is that the City of Boston create a Family Overdose Support Fund to support families after a fatal overdose of a family member.
Based on this recommendation, BPHC released an RFP for a nonprofit partner to co-create, manage, and operate the Family Overdose Support Fund fund for Boston residents who lost a family member to a fatal drug overdose. Modeled after funds like One Fund Boston and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, the fund is designed to function as a form of remediation.
In October 2024, BPHC awarded this contract to the Boston BullPen Project as part of its newly-created HALO Initiatives program. HALO’s Co-Founders/Co-Directors, Elsa Gomes Bondlow, and Brendan Little, will directly manage the Family Overdose Support Fund under the guidance of Boston BullPen leadership.
HALO INITIATIVES
LEADERSHIP
ELSA GOMES BONDLOW
CO-FOUNDER AND
CO-DIRECTOR FOR HALO INITIATIVES
Elsa Gomes Bondlow is a visionary nonprofit leader in philanthropy and social impact, with over 20 years of experience in direct service and advocacy. Known for fostering inclusive environments and addressing systemic inequities by connecting resources to needs, her extensive fundraising career includes leadership roles at several prominent local health and human services nonprofit organizations. In 2020, she co-founded the Social Equity Access Fund, a catalytic fund that has distributed nearly $2M in assistance to the community, initially focusing on direct cash assistance for COVID-19 relief to individuals and later refocusing to support nonprofit organizations with grants in education, economic stability, and basic needs for marginalized communities.
Today, as the founder of Ripple Acts Consulting and a recipient of numerous professional honors, Elsa leverages her deep local knowledge and extensive network, particularly in the immigrant and refugee communities, to unify donors, government and nonprofits for meaningful impact—exemplified by her work with HALO Initiatives and the Boston BullPen Project—where she bridges community needs with resources to drive lasting change.
BRENDAN LITTLE
CO-FOUNDER AND
CO-DIRECTOR FOR HALO INITIATIVES
Brendan Little served as the founding Policy Director for the Office of Recovery Services (ORS), the City of Boston’s office coordinating substance use/harm reduction efforts across the city. As ORS’ inaugural Policy Director, he was the office’s principal strategist, formulated and led new initiatives, and worked on several large-scale planning processes.
Brendan is in recovery from substance use disorder and is a lifelong resident of Boston. He incorporates his life’s challenges into his work. As a teenager, he experienced homelessness, incarceration, and spent a year in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. He also lost many friends and family members to fatal overdose. He is currently a filmmaker, consultant, training facilitator, and writer.
STEVE ALPERIN
PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF BOSTON BULLPEN PROJECT INC.
Steve is a retired portfolio manager, former left-handed pitcher and a 1987 graduate of Bentley College (now University). He worked with Harvard Management through 2011 and retired from the investment business in 2016 to spend more time with his family, serve as a hospice volunteer for Hebrew Senior Life and to help start the Boston BullPen Project.
ALAN STERN, M.D.
CO-FOUNDER OF BOSTON BULLPEN PROJECT INC.
A graduate of Brown University and the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Alan is a practicing physician at Needham Pediatrics. He is actively involved in teaching medical students at Harvard Medical School. Alan has also served on various boards and committees over the years, including The Practicing Pediatricians of Children’s Hospital, the Needham Board of Health, The Children’s Room and Franklin Park Zoo.
BEN LEVIN, ESQUIRE
CO-FOUNDER OF BOSTON BULLPEN PROJECT INC.
Ben is a lawyer and partner at Levin and Levin, LLP. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston University College of Arts and Sciences in 1999 and his Juris Doctor from Massachusetts School of Law in 2004.
Michael Connelly
CO-FOUNDER OF BOSTON BULLPEN PROJECT INC.
A Bentley College graduate (where he played baseball with fellow BullPen board member Steve Alperin), Michael is a Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending. Passionate about sports and writing, he has married these interests and authored six sports-themed books over the last two decades. He is also passionate about giving back to his community.
WHIT KING
DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY OF BOSTON BULLPEN PROJECT INC.
Whitney is a seasoned development leader with over a decade of expertise in nonprofit fundraising. After spending several years in higher education fundraising, Whit shifted her focus to community emergency aid, where she’s found her true calling. She works closely with donors and foundations to secure funding that directly impacts people in crisis. Her background in project management helps teams work efficiently and collaboratively. Whitney focuses on finding new funding opportunities and building relationships that strengthen the organization’s ability to provide emergency support to the community.
Join the Movement
Partner with HALO Initiatives
HALO welcomes collaborations with organizations, community groups, and businesses who share our passion for supporting families impacted by overdose. We offer various partnership avenues, including program collaboration, financial support through grants or sponsorships, and in-kind donations. Individuals can also contribute by volunteering their time and expertise, or participating in advocacy efforts. Please also express any interest in a role on HALO’s forthcoming community advisory group. Join us in raising awareness, providing education, and strengthening community connections to create a more supportive environment for those who have lost loved ones to overdose.
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