About Us
The Cree Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 2015 by Cree’s mother, Susannah Castro, in memory of Cree Robinson Castro-Topp, December 9, 1995 – May 5, 2015. Cree fatally overdosed in Veinte de Agosto Park in Tucson, Arizona at the age of 19, after what can only be described as a five-year battle, that began with opioid painkillers, and ended with heroin use and consequently Cree’s death by unintentional overdose.
In 2017, The Cree Project created and implemented The Opioid Initiative project, in honor of Cree’s life. The goal of the project, which is ongoing, is to address the epidemic of prescription opioid and heroin addiction through local education and outreach to youth who are most at risk of unknowingly experimenting with seemingly harmless medications that create a dependence on opioids and can lead to other substance use. The Cree Project worked directly with other organizations and stakeholders throughout Southern Arizona to develop and implement a pilot program, including a trauma informed curriculum tailored to teens that promoted awareness and prevention of opioid use and substance use in general.