Upcoming Events

 

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4th Annual Jams For Jake: POSTPONED until Summer 2021

Every year we look forward to this very special event in memory of Jake and to raise resources and awareness in the fight against the opioid epidemic. It is with heavy hearts that we made the difficult decision to cancel and postpone our fourth annual Jams for Jake Festival in order to ensure the safety of our attendees. We are committed to do our part to help protect our community and supporters while we work through this unprecedented situation. Thank you for your patience and understanding and we look forward to seeing you all next year!

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Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone (Narcan) Training: Early 2021

Come learn how to SAVE A LIFE! This Fall (date and time TBD) we are hosting a comprehensive Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone (Narcan) Training in Reading, MA.  Participants will learn about the Opioid Epidemic, how to identify the signs of an opioid overdose and how to respond. There will be demonstrations on how to preform CPR and rescue breathing, as well as how to assemble and administer four different formulations of naloxone (the life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and prevents death); two intranasal and two intramuscular. Additional overdose and addiction resources will also be available. The event is FREE and open to the public. You never know when you’ll need this life saving information! If you'd like to be sent direct updates about this event or have any questions please reach out to our Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Training Instructor, Brittany Wilson, at brittany@beatheartfoundation.org.

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               **Check back for updates on all upcoming events or sign up for our newsletter below!

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Past Events

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3rd Annual Jams for Jake: Saturday, June 22nd, 2019

On a beautiful sun-kissed Saturday,  we hosted our third annual Jams for Jake Music and Arts Festival, a special event in memory of our friend Jake Czuczwa, on June 22nd, 2019. The free, family-friendly event, was open to the public (and puppies!), and took place at a NEW location this year —at Birch Meadow Field in Reading, MA. Along with the incredible music by local musicians and bands, the day featured booths displaying breathtaking art by local artists, community speakers reflecting on their own experience with substance abuse and recovery, one-on-one overdose reversal trainings, abundant resources for addiction recovery, JFJ t-shirts for sale, "Gameland" — an area with a variety of fun outdoor games for all ages, a drawing for gift cards/baskets and a variety of great prizes from community supporters, food trucks serving delicious food,and much more! Another amazing turn-out and successful festival in the books!

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Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone (Narcan) Training: Tuesday, April 30th, 2019

On Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 we held a comprehensive Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone (Narcan) Training at a NEW location—Parker Middle School in Reading, MA.  Participants learned about the Opioid Epidemic, how to identify the signs of an opioid overdose and how to respond, how to preform CPR and rescue breathing, as well as how to assemble and administer four different formulations of naloxone. As always, this event was FREE and open to the public. Please reach out to our Training Instructor, Brittany Wilson, brittany@beatheartfoundation.org with any questions or for more information on upcoming training events.

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"Spooky" HOWL-oween Fall Coffeehouse: Friday, November 2nd, 2018

On Friday, November 2nd, 2018 we hosted our third seasonal “Let It Out” Coffeehouse: Featured Performers Open Mic & Jam Session at a NEW location: Birch Meadow in Reading, MA.  The free recovery-friendly event featured a fun night of music, fun, laughter, spooky decorations and even a costume contest! Our first and second place winners received tickets to the multiplayer virtual reality gaming arena MindTrek VR in Woburn, MA and tickets to the #1 real-life escape room game Escape the Room in Boston, MA.  The music was amazing as ever this time around as some talented new faces started off the night for our open-mic portion of the event, followed by our passionate featured performers singing their original music and covering popular songs. In addition to complimentary pizza, snacks, refreshments, and what seemed llike an endless supply of Halloween candy, we also had a full table of mental health and addiction resources, along with brief hands-on Narcan training.

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2nd Annual Jams for Jake: Sunday, August 5th, 2018

On Sunday, August 5th, 2018 we held our second annual Jams for Jake music and arts community festival, a special event in memory of our friend Jake Czuczwa. The free, family-friendly event, open to the public, took place at Symonds Field in Reading, MA on a beautiful sun-filled Sunday. Along with the incredible music by local musicians and bands, the day featured booths displaying breathtaking art by local artists, community speakers reflecting on their own experience with substance abuse and recovery, overdose reversal trainings, abundant resources for addiction recovery, a cell phone charging station, JFJ t-shirts for sale, luminary bag decoration, and "Gameland" — an area with a variety of fun outdoor games for all ages! Once again, we had an amazing turnout and look forward to seeing everyone there again next year.

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Summer Coffeehouse: Sunday, June 24th, 2018

On Sunday, June 24th, 2018 we held our second “Let It Out” Coffeehouse: Featured Performers Open Mic & Jam Session at the American Legion in Reading, MA. The night was rich with laughter, tears, cheers and applause. We had many young talented performers singing their original music, covering popular songs, executing intense guitar solos, and even a featured magician this time around! In addition to complimentary pizza, snacks and refreshments, we also had a full table of mental health and addiction resources for people to take home with them if they wished, along with hands-on Narcan training. Coming together for successful community events such as these, is why we love doing what we do. 

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Spring Coffeehouse: Friday, March 23rd, 2018 

We held our first “Let It Out” Coffeehouse: Featured Performers Open Mic & Jam Session on Friday, March 23rd, 2018 at the American Legion in Reading, MA.  This event blew our expectations out the water, and we had almost one hundred attendees.  The night featured an open mic as well as several “featured performers,” including a  dance company and local musicians.  Two middle school students kicked things off for the night, setting the bar incredibly high, and was rounded out by an unbelievably talented group of high school seniors.  Our focus for this event was on getting this important demographic involved, and we did so by reaching out to students on a few separate visits to the high school.  The results did not disappoint.  We were happy to provide a platform for so many young musicians and artists to showcase their talents and creativity at a positive, sober event.  In addition to free food and refreshments, we also had a full table of mental health and addiction resources for people to take home with them if they wished, along with hands-on Narcan training.

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      !View more pictures from this event here

 

Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone (Narcan) Training: Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

On February 27th, 2018 we held a free, comprehensive Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone (Narcan) Training at the Coolidge Middle School in Reading, MA.  It was well attended and the feedback we got was incredibly positive. For individuals who could not make it to the training or perhaps did not feel comfortable attending in person, we live streamed the event across social media for people to watch from home. Please reach out to our Training Instructor, Brittany Wilson, brittany@beatheartfoundation.org with any questions or for more information on upcoming training events.

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Jams for Jake: Sunday, November 12th, 2017

On Sunday, November 12th, 2017 we held a special event in memory of our friend Jake Czuczwa.  Jams for Jake was an all-day music festival/community gathering to honor the memory of Jake, and to raise resources and awareness in the fight against the opioid epidemic.  It was free, family-friendly, and open to the public.  Jams for Jake was a great day of fun, music, reflection, and community that Jake would have loved.  Our hope is to annually use this event as a way to create something positive to honor Jake's life and to create a space for open and honest reflection on the effects of this crisis in our lives and our communities.

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       !View more pictures from this event here

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