Children’s Aid and Family Services Increasing Access to Lifesaving Medication
Narcan “Buster Boxes” Launched in Bergen County
September 22, 2025 – (Paramus, NJ) Children’s Aid and Family Services, with the support of the Marri family of River Edge, launched the “Buster Box,” a newspaper-style dispenser that will provide free Naloxone (Narcan) in 12 towns in Bergen County.
Named in honor of Buster Spike Lucky Elkin Marri, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2021 at age 24, the Buster Boxes will be placed in key public locations to ensure that anyone can quickly and discreetly access Narcan, a lifesaving medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. While there were more than 500 suspected overdoses in 2024 reported by law enforcement in Bergen County, there were many unreported overdoses that occurred in homes, motels, and in the community. This demonstrates the need for greater access to Narcan in the community.
The first box was unveiled at the Paramus Public Library during Busterstock, an annual concert to raise funds for the Buster Spike Lucky Elkin Marri Love & Luck fund at Children’s Aid and Family Services. The fund was formed in 2023 after the Marri family approached The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, to create a fund to support education and awareness about recovery resources.
The Marri family joined staff from Children’s Aid and Family Services on September 18, 2025, to commemorate the Buster Box placed at the River Edge Library. “Buster suffered from the disease of addiction, and our family knows firsthand that addiction needs to be treated with love and care,” says his sister, Samantha Marri. “We hope that the Buster Boxes will save lives.”
Added Shavonda E. Sumter, President and CEO, “We are truly grateful to the Marri family for supporting our Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources in removing barriers and making Narcan available where people live, work, and gather together.”
More Buster Boxes to be Launched in the Community – Media and Public Invited to Attend
On Thursday, September 25, Save a Life Day, a nationwide event dedicated to preventing overdose deaths through distribution of free naloxone, staff from The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources will unveil Buster Boxes at the following locations. Media and the public are invited to attend:
- 9:30 a.m. Lodi Library, 1 Memorial Drive, Lodi, NJ
- 10:30 a.m. Hackensack Library, 275 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ
- 11:00 a.m. Franklin Lakes Library, 470 De Korte Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ
- 12:00 p.m. Montvale Fire Dept., 35 W. Grand Ave., Montvale, NJ
- 1:00 p.m. Stop & Shop, 665 American Legion Drive, Teaneck, NJ
- 2:00 p.m. Mackay Park, 130 W. Englewood Ave., Englewood, NJ
- 3:00 p.m. – Capri Inn, 1 Valley Road, Little Ferry, NJ
- 3:00 p.m. – Red Carpet Inn, 204 US 46 E., Elmwood Park, NJ
- 3:30 p.m. – Travel Lodge Motel, 636 Huyler St., South Hackensack, NJ
- 3:45 p.m. – Stage Coach Motel, 458 US 46, South Hackensack, NJ
For more information, contact Jessica Fernandez at 201-740-7030.
About Children’s Aid and Family Services
Children’s Aid and Family Services is a leading nonprofit human services organization serving northern New Jersey. The agency is fully accredited and has served the community for 126 years. Its mission is to empower individuals, strengthen families, and support healthier communities. The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, provides community and school-based substance misuse prevention, education programs, and peer recovery support services. For more information, please call 201-261-2800 or visit www.tcadr.org.
Photo Caption: Jessica Fernandez (Children’s Aid and Family Services), Joe Curry, Samantha Marri, Jeanie Marri, Shavonda E. Sumter, President and CEO (Children’s Aid and Family Services), Ellen Elias (Children’s Aid and Family Services), and Daragh O’Connor, Library Director, River Edge Library. 2nd row: Cosmo Marri