Port City Harm Reduction is a sex worker-drug user founded, grassroots coalition in Wilmington, North Carolina. Implementing a true harm-reduction approach to public health, our values are rooted in supporting individuals facing social-systemic harms and injustice at all costs.
We believe in meeting people where they’re at, advocating for the human rights of people who use drugs and sex industry workers in Eastern North Carolina.

PCHR has been providing outreach, harm reduction education, testing and supplies to New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Onslow County since September 2021.
Wilmington, North Carolina is where Port City Harm Reduction was born. Founder and Executive Director, Bex Lilly, has been providing harm reduction for New Hanover Co since 2016.
She played a key role in the early days of syringe access legalization in NC and fiercely advocates for harm reduction practices over prohibition, sex industry workers, and parents/pregnant people who use drugs.
Haitham Alsawadi, Co-Director of PCHR is an expert in dismantling mass incarceration, stigma against drug users, and racial inequities derived from his lived experiences with such. Haitham, being a person of color and former injection drug user, is dedicated to reducing ethnic health disparities in New Hanover County.
As an organization, our priorities lay in raising the index of health, safety, justice for high-risk populations and supporting people with living experience in positions of leadership.
In a world where the term “Harm Reduction” has become a buzz word to corporate health industries, its imperative that Port City Harm Reduction holds beautiful lives over profit, wellness over abstinence, support over stigma, comprehensive person-first care, and actively works towards dismantling the racist, classist War on Drugs.

Local, grassroots & family run
Founded in September 2020 providing harm reduction care in Wilmington, NC since 2016
Gained 501c3 status in 2023 & open our community health hub Fall of 2024
& PCHR is a NC state certified Syringe Service Program.
Founder & Executive Director: Bex Lilly - bexlilly@portcityhr.org
Grant & programs Director: Haitham Alsawadi - haitham.portycityhr@gmail.com
SSP Specialist & Outreach worker:
Bernadette Proctor
Bern@portcityhr.org

Drop in hours:
115 Marstellar Street
M/W/F 12-5pm
Tues/Thurs 11am-2pm
Mobile Outreach 9am-11am M-F