Due to generous donations from members of the community, SOAR Natick has been able to sponsor a variety of events and activities:

Purple Flag Project In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st, SOAR Natick and The Journey present a purple flag display in Natick Center. Volunteers place purple flags on the lawn of the First Congregational Church to represent the number of Massachusetts residents who lost their life the prior year from an overdose. The Red flags represent lives lost in any year to substance use and can be personalized. In 2020 the Purple Flags were also displayed at Newton Wellesley Hospital.

The Opioid Project Ten community members affected by the Opioid Crisis came together to participate in an art project. An audio recording accompanies each art piece. The exhibit opened in September 2018 at the Morse Institute Library and has been continuously displayed throughout MetroWest.

Bereavement Retreat In 2019 SOAR Natick sponsored a weekend retreat for members of The Journey: Living with Substance Loss. Twenty attendees gathered on Cape Cod in a beautiful ocean front setting. Being led by a Spiritual Healer, the group participated in activities such as yoga, meditation, massage and art projects, while enjoying delicious meals that were prepared and delivered by volunteers.

Nick's Hike SOAR Natick was proud to sponsor the Bellomo family for Nick’s Hike. Over 150 community members and friends gathered to hike at the Rocky Woods Reservation in Medfield  to celebrate Nick’s love of hiking and spending time in nature.

Six Flags SOAR Natick sponsored 20 young men from a local recovery home to a day of fun at Six Flags in Springfield to celebrate their accomplishments.

Gilly's House SOAR Natick was pleased to contribute to the opening of a recovery home in Wrentham by donating a new washing machine to the house.

Natick High School As an alternative to attending the prom, SOAR Natick funded tickets and dinner for a group of Natick High School students to attend a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The event was chaperoned by school staff.

Holiday 'Giving Bags' Holidays can be a very difficult time, especially for young adults separated from their families. Community members and organizations assisted by donating necessities for local individuals in early recovery. Gift bags were assembled by the SOAR Natick and delivered to local recovery homes.

Four Legs to Stand On In April 2019 we sponsored the presentation of this play highlighting the opioid epidemic through human stories followed by Q&A with the audience. The event was very well attended by community members and we are thankful to TCAN for their support in making this possible.

Natick High School Scholarships In June 2020 we were honored to present six graduating NHS seniors with scholarships in the amount of $500 each.

Grant Program In 2020 we awarded a total of $15,000 to individuals working on their recovery.  Through these grants we were able to provide financial assistance to these individuals for things like education, transportation, housing and medical costs.

Speakers

Chris Herren Mr. Herren spoke twice at Natick High School to over 800 community members. Chris, a former all-star NBA Boston Celtics player, shared his story of his long struggle with addiction and his ultimate path to recovery.

Ruth Potee In March 2018 Dr. Ruth Potee presented to middle and high school students and their parents.  The topic was “Addiction is a Pediatric Disease”.  She spoke about how understanding teen drain development can help reduce the risk for addiction in adulthood.

Cory Palazzi Cory, a local, young man in recovery from heroin addiction shared his story at Natick High School. This event was sponsored by SOAR Natick and funded by the Reddish Foundation.

Supporting Outreach & Addiction Recovery

SOAR Natick | What We Do