CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) – State Sen. Lea Webb is recognizing a Cortland man.

Webb presented Dean O’Gorman with a New York State Commendation Award, the highest honor an individual can earn for service to the community on June 25.

O’Gorman is a Care Navigator with the Rural Health Institute, Director of the Healing Hearts Collaborative Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, founder of Healing Hearts’ Peer-Support Grief Group, and a full-time worker at Grace Space, where he works directly with people who need shelter, food, and access to essential services.

“When I first met Dean and heard his story and how he came to care so much about harm reduction, I was incredibly moved,” Webb said. “Dean is incredibly dedicated to providing harm reduction services, education, and compassionate care to everyone he serves. His drive to support those in Cortland County has made a tremendous impact in this community. I am proud to honor his contributions with this commendation award.”

O’Gorman began outreach work after losing his son, and the efforts have grown into an impactful support community serving more than 80 members locally and across the United States. He provides overdose response training and distributes lifesaving Narcan kits to individuals and families.

“Receiving this Commendation Award from Senator Webb is a profound honor, but the true reward is seeing the resilience of the people we serve every day. When I lost my son Spencer, I knew I couldn’t let that grief be the end of the story; I wanted to turn that pain into a lifeline for others,” O’Gorman said. “Whether we are distributing Narcan, sitting together in grief support, or providing a warm, dry space to rest, shower or access resources at Grace Space, my goal is simple: to meet people exactly where they are with compassion and dignity, without judgment. This work isn’t just a job for me—it’s a lifelong commitment to ensuring no one in our community has to walk through their darkest moments alone.”