When Eve Goldberg’s son Isaac passed away a little over two years ago from an accidental overdose from opioids, she knew she wanted to do something meaningful and charitable in his memory. “My dream was to create a sober clubhouse, a community where young adults in recovery participate in fun activities,” she said. Her parents had a donor advised fund with Jewish Communal Fund for many years, so she turned to JCF to establish the Isaac Goldberg Volkmar Fund. Friends and family donated money to the fund in memory of Isaac.
“It was fantastic,” she said of working with JCF. “It really helped me.” Her daughter, Beatrice, subsequently ran a half marathon when she was in school in Michigan, raising close to $20,000 for the cause.
Last year, Goldberg founded BIGVISION, a 501(c)(3) charity based in Manhattan that serves as a community for young adults in recovery from addiction. Twice monthly sober events include small get-togethers featuring knitting, spinning, hikes and indoor rock climbing. These activities are especially important because many who suffer from addiction isolate themselves and don’t know how to enjoy themselves being sober, she said.
“I wish something like this would have existed for him,” she said. “The fact that they come gives me a lot of joy to see their faces.”
Isaac was the kind of person who was always helping people, she said. He was kind and compassionate, good looking and tall and funny. “We’re continuing with his mission; he would have loved this,” she said.
This past week would have been Isaac’s 26th birthday. Big Vision held a basketball event to mark the occasion since that was the sport he was most passionate about.
The name of the charity – BIGVISION– was the brainchild of Rabbi Josh Kohl of NCSY. The “IGV,” which is written in bold typeface, represents Isaac’s initials.
“This is a world I never really knew I would become a part of,” Goldberg said. “Everyone in this world is trying to save a life and do good things.”
Read more about Big Vision on JTA: http://www.jta.org/2016/06/28/news-opinion/united-states/jewish-groups-putting-up-a-fight-against-growing-opioid-epidemic