We know there are some men carrying grief who may never think of joining a support group. Some may not know what they would say. Our Men’s Group is for any man 18+ grieving someone who died from a substance use-related cause. A son or daughter, a brother, a partner, a parent, a relative or a friend. If the death has affected your life, there is a place for you here. Men are also welcome at any of our other groups that fit their relationship or experience. The Men’s Group is simply another option. It’s a space where some men may feel more comfortable connecting with others who understand. There is no pressure to share before you are ready. You can come and listen. You can talk about the hard days or about the person you are there to remember. The men who attend have found that being with others who understand can make grief feel a little less isolating. We are expanding the Men’s Group by adding a Monday night option starting 8/17/26. And we are welcoming Paul Cooperstein and Michael Simon as new co-facilitators each to one of the meetings. They know what it feels like to walk through that virtual door needing support. Now they are ready to help hold that door open for other men. We will introduce them both next week’s email.
Know someone that may want to join? Please share this email with them or encourage them to pre-register.
~Robyn
Robyn Houston-Bean
Founder, The Sun Will Rise Foundation
Find the most up-to-date meeting info, ZOOM links and LOCATION info all in one place! DOWNLOAD THE TEAMUP APP CALENDAR ON YOUR PHONE. Click here for how to join app! The teamup calendar automatically updates to your timezone.
Please check the calendar before you drive to an in-person group…last-minute changes can happen. If it is not listed on the monthly calendar, it is cancelled for that date.
If you’re receiving this email, you do not need to pre-register again.
MEETING CHANGES THIS WEEK
The Weymouth MA regular daytime group at Wey of Life will meet only via zoom this month.
VOLUNTEER!
There are so many ways to get involved! Sign up to learn more about our volunteer opportunities and find the one that feels right for you. Sign up here!
OUR 10 YEAR CELEBRATION!
Buy your tickets now! On October 3, 2026 we'll gather for a very special evening as we celebrate 10 years of The Sun Will Rise Foundation, recognize Cheryl Juaire's incredible contributions as she retires and look ahead to this new chapter together as Team Sharing & The Sun Will Rise merge. We hope you'll join us.
Sponsor, Donate or Add a Tribute in Memory of Your Person. There are many meaningful ways to be part of this special evening. Become a sponsor, make a donation or place a tribute in our program in memory of someone you love. Your support helps ensure that people bereaved due to substance use-related causes never have to grieve alone.
ANNOUNCING LOW DIGIT PLATE AUCTION! Bid on a Low-Number Overdose Awareness Plate Our online auction for Massachusetts Overdose Awareness plates 1–99 is now open! These plates have not been available to the public until now! Bid on a meaningful number while supporting TSWR’s free peer grief support for people bereaved due to substance use-related causes. And yes, if you already have a higher digit plate and want to bid on one of these you are eligible! Most plates start at a $500 bid. Certain single digit numbers are higher. Auction closes 10/3/26!
The INTO LIGHT Project
Attention residents of Missouri, Illinois & South Dakota! Beginning August 1, families and friends in those states will be able to submit a person for consideration in the INTO LIGHT Project's Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories exhibition. To learn more about the project please visit intolightproject.org. View the flyers for these states here.
HERE IS SOME OF WHAT HAPPENED AT TSWR RECENTLY!
We held our third lantern-making event at Hope Beyond Hope, bringing people together to create lanterns in memory of those we carry with us. So unique and beautiful! Each lantern will shine during our International Overdose Awareness Day Lantern Walk on August 27. The Quincy MA in-person workshop still has openings. If you can’t make that, join us at our virtual workshop, details below.
Some members of our Book Club gathered face-to-face for their first annual dinner. It was a wonderful evening of good food, conversation and friendship! Can’t wait to get the new list of books for year two!
UPCOMING TSWR & SADOD ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Create a memorial lantern in memory or honor of someone you care about as we prepare for the Braintree/Weymouth MA International Overdose Awareness Day Lantern Walk & Glowstick Ceremony at Pond Meadow Park on 8/27/26. Each lantern created during these workshops can be carried or displayed during our IOAD Lantern Walk & Glow Stick Ceremony, where we will come together as a community to remember those who have died due to substance use related causes and support one another in hope and healing. Questions? robyn@thesunwillrise.org
8/3/26 Thayer Public Library Logan Auditorium Braintee MA FILLED-REGISTRATION CLOSED
8/10/26 1:00 pm A New Way Recovery Quincy MA REGISTER HERE.
8/20/26 6:30 pm ET Virtual. Zoom Link. List of materials that you will need.
LAST CALL! Pick Your Own Flowers Sunday August 9, 2026 2:00-4:00 pm. Cross St Farm Norwell MA Our group will have the farm fields to ourselves as we gather together to admire the blooms spread throughout the seven acre flower farm. Walk the rows at your own pace, choose your stems, and bring home a hand-cut bouquet straight from the field. We will have the opportunity to cut 20 stems of beautiful summer blooms to bring home. Zinnias, lisianthus, cosmos, snapdragons, celosia, sunflowers, pincushion, globe amaranth, grasses are among the possible varieties that may be bursting! Cost: FREE but requires a $20 per person deposit that you will receive back at the event. If you sign up and do not attend the event without giving us 10 days notice, the deposit is not refundable. We do this to be able to continue to offer events at no cost to you. Thanks for your understanding. Please don’t let the deposit be a barrier, if cost is an issue, just let us know. We’re committed to making this event accessible to everyone. If you have any accessibility needs (physical or otherwise), please reach out. We want to ensure everyone feels welcome and supported. The ground is uneven so may not be easy to navigate for those with mobility difficulties. Questions about the event? Please email judy kelly judyannkelly@gmail.com 781-264-0557 REGISTER HERE!
Renew, Refresh, Reset Grief Retreat for Bereaved Parents Date: August 14-16, 2026. All spots filled. Questions about the retreat? Contact Cheryl Juaire Cherju4339@aol.com
International Overdose Awareness Day Lantern Walk & Glowstick Remembrance Thursday August 27th, 2026 6:00 pm ET Braintree MA Join The Sun Will Rise Foundation, the Town of Braintree, The Braintree Community Partnership, the Town of Weymouth and the Weymouth Prevention Alliance as we come together to honor International Overdose Awareness Day. This evening is an opportunity to remember those who have died due to substance use-related causes while standing alongside others who understand the lasting impact of these deaths. We will gather at Pond Meadow Park for a remembrance ceremony where participants will be invited to take part in our glow stick ceremony. This is a meaningful ceremony that honors the lives of those we carry in our hearts and reminds us that their light continues to shine. Stay for just the ceremony or walk with us, carrying our own handmade illuminated memorial lanterns, around Pond Meadow. Together we remember. Register here. Make a lantern to carry at one of our workshops! There will not be a separate Braintree butterfly release this year or a Weymouth vigil. Questions? Contact robyn@thesunwillrise.org
BOSTON IOAD INFO
On Monday 8/31/26 over 20,000 purple flags will be planted on the lawn at Liberty Mall on Boston Common in remembrance of those who have died due to overdose in Massachusetts between 2013-2025. Sign up to volunteer to plant the flags. Please report at 7:30am to be assigned a task. T-shirts will be provided to volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you volunteered in the past, please wear the shirt you were given and everyone is invited to wear a purple shirt in case t-shirts run out. They kindly ask that volunteers commit to at least two hours, though you are welcome to stay longer.
HALO INITIATIVES: FAMILY OVERDOSE SUPPORT FUND
Boston Residents! If you are a BOSTON resident who has experienced the death of a family member to overdose within the last 2 years, you may be eligible for up to $5,000 in financial support. Apply here.
Do you know someone bereaved due to substance use related causes that would appreciate our weekly email? Have them sign up here for support!
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“Please be happy. The sun will rise” ~Nick Bean