Spring - a sign of new beginnings

Spring has finally sprung! We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and doing the best they can as we navigate through these unprecedented times together, as a community. Let’s try to remain hopeful and remember that better days will come as will the fresh ocean breeze and warmth of sun.

We would like to fill everyone in regarding the happenings so far this Spring.

The Cape Ann Community has played a major role in the success of the Sunrise Funds ability to help people, and now it’s our turn to give back. A few weeks ago, we were able to donate an entire dinner to the homeless shelter at the YMCA, which wouldn’t have been possible without the gracious help of Jess at Capt Hooks. We have been witnessing countless people going to extreme lengths to help each other: to get someone’s groceries, to make sure someone has a mask, and even to purchase gifts and prizes for people on the front lines of this crisis, and it’s truly amazing. There have been so many uplifting stories! We hope the residents at the shelter enjoyed their meal, as it is our way of giving back to the community.

We are also thrilled to announce that we have received a very generous grant from the Alces foundation. The Alces foundation is a private family foundation that was started in Hamilton MA to help fund growing non profit organizations that the family chooses. We are so happy to be picked as one of those organizations! We applied for the grant in April and just received it this week! We would also like to thank Rose and Kayla (sunrise recipient) for having birthday fundraisers to raise money for us this month! These funds are so crucial at this time as we have had to postpone two events so far this year. You guys are awesome, hope you both had a wonderful birthday!

On a more somber note, we want to recognize and thank the families of Daniel Balbo, Michele Gates, and Brandi Mitchell. These three families have recently endured the loss of a loved one and graciously directed donations in their memory to the sunrise fund. We would like to send them virtual hugs and support, as its never easy to lose someone, especially during these troubling times. Families should never have to grieve alone. We want them to know that we are grieving with you, and we are here for you. Each donation we get in their memory will be a step forward in helping us end someone else’s struggle. We thank you for thinking of the sunrise fund.

*Also for anyone who is making a donation in memory of a loved one, please make sure to note that person’s name in the Paypal instructions or notes. We will also be making an “in memoriam” page on our website. If you would like us to put a picture of your loved one and their story, please reach out to us by email- thesunrisefund@gmail.com.

As for our sunrise fund recipients, up to date we have spent just over $60,000 and sent 19 people into treatment. Our girl Kayla, who we blogged about previously, is coming up on 11 months sober!! Another recipient is currently in treatment up in Portland and is celebrating 7 months sober this month!! It’s amazing because these are some of the first people to receive funding from us, and for them to still be doing this awesome in their recovery, makes us feel good.

Stay safe everyone,

~Jackie

9th Annual Overdose Vigil, Gloucester

This last Monday, Christian and I, accompanied by friends and family attended the 9th annual Overdose Vigil in Gloucester.  This event is held on the boulevard each August in honor to remember all the loved ones we have lost to their addiction.  I couldn’t even guess the amount of people that were there, mostly because I am just very bad at estimation, but 100 people? maybe 200? To say it was an emotional experience is an understatement.  Every person that was there that night has lost someone they loved,  whether it was their mother, father, sister, brother, best friend, son, daughter, girlfriend, wife, and many others.  Everyone was encouraged to write names and tributes on white bags that are then filled with a small sandbag and glow stick.  The luminaries were then lined along the boulevard so that when it got dark they would “light up the night” with love.   And that is just what it did. 

Throughout the night there was music and guest speakers.  Each person had lost a love one to addiction and used their grief to help others.  A couple that we met briefly was Gordon and Colleen Bullard.  They had lost their son Cory in 2017 to addiction and have since started the CCB Foundation in his memory.  We love their mission.   They are a non profit raising funds to help support addicts in recovery after they get back in to the real world and focus on helping them get jobs, education and training to get into the workforce.  More info can be found on their website https://ccbfoundation.com/

The first speaker was Franklin Cooke from Unified Community solutions and the SADOD (Support After Death by OverDose) project.  He is a grief counselor that specializes in grief support for sudden deaths from either suicide or an overdose.  

https://sites.google.com/a/personalgriefcoach.com/ucs/

She second speaker was Elaine Hoctor-De Vos, a mother from Wakefield who spoke about the loss of her daughter, Amandee, in December 2018.  In May 2019 she held a Cut-a-thon hair cutting event to raise money for many different addiction related charities/foundations in memory of Amandee. 

The third speaker was Lindsay, a volunteer with the vigil who has spoken in the past about her experiences with family members addiction.   Her speech was told from her best friends point of view that she met through their shared tragic experiences of losing a sibling.  

We were invited to speak as the fourth speakers and spoke about Jill and the sunrise fund.  It was very tough, as it was only 4 days after the 1 year mark of Jill being gone, but we got through it. 

The last part of the night was the reading of all of those we have lost.  The list of names seemed like it went on forever.  If I had to guess I would say around 500 names were read.  Although it was a very sad event, it is put on each year to let people know that we are not alone in this fight.  This disease has literally touched everyone.  That amount of names is not okay, it's mind blowing.  Talk about addiction to your kids.  Talk about your loved ones who have died.  Let's raise money and get these people the help they need.

Thank you to everyone that came to the vigil.

Thanks for reading,

Jackie