Mila Rampola’s life has been full of overcoming struggles. Now, as she spends her days helping others in the same predicament, those experiences have come back to uplift her.

Rampola, a peer support worker at Bay Area Community Health, is dedicating her life to helping folks overcome substance use disorder. It is a daily, lifelong struggle but she’s well-equipped to dish out assistance, because 20 years ago she was the one seeking it.

Back then, as a single mother, her life was in turmoil amid personal health concerns and drug addiction. Reluctant at first, her desire to build a better life for her daughter finally pushed her to seek help.

Currently undergoing training as a drug and alcohol counselor, Rampola is set to intern for BACH next year. When she’s not in Fremont, she spends her time pursuing drug addiction counseling studies at Merritt College in Oakland. “I tell my daughter to this day — she’s 31 now — I tell her, ‘You and my grandson are the reason why I fight,’ ” Rampola said.

Bay Area Community Health, based in Fremont and San Jose, offers medical treatment, addiction counseling and other health services to tens of thousands of people every year.

To better assist underserved communities, BACH has mobile units and outreach teams who regularly frequent local encampments to bring the health services with them.

“We go out four days every week, give out kits, give out Narcan (to prevent fentanyl overdoses),” said Veronika Rodriguez, a supervisor in the substance use disorder program at BACH.

BACH served 65,900 people last year and is on pace to serve a similar patient base in 2024, according to Development Director Lucy Hernandez.