This is Isaac’s Story & Event

The Power of Community does make a difference for those struggling with substance use disorder. It truly does take a village.

This is Isaac and his mother Eve taken at her wedding in 2013.

I am highlighting Isaac’s story here in hopes of showing you how important it is to engage and belong to a tribe of like-minded folks. People who will support your journey of recovery.

 My mother always told my brothers and me; “Show me your friends and I will show you who you are.” Regretfully, I ignored that sentiment and succumbed to addiction myself.

 I am 5+ years clean now and I owe it all to a community I found on Instagram. A group of warriors who are courageous enough to be vulnerable and supportive. They’ve been through the wringer themselves.

 When we surround ourselves with people who care, understand, and support where we are coming from, we actually do have a fighting chance at changing our path for the better. And sustain it. The saying; “The opposite of Addiction is Connection” is true.

 You see, Isaac did not have this kind of support and it cost him his life. -Mike, SoberPress.

This is Isaac’s story:

Isaac Goldberg Volkmar desperately wanted to be part of a community.

Isaac grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The family had no history of addiction. Isaac had been at the University of Rhode Island for less than a semester in 2009 when he called his mother, Eve, desperate to escape. He had joined a fraternity and wound up taking pain medications Percocet and Oxycontin. In only a few months, Isaac knew he was addicted and that he needed help. He went in and out of rehabs in Pennsylvania and New York and overdosed the summer after freshman year. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital and survived. Isaac battled addiction for years.

In 2013, he successfully completed a treatment program. While trying to acclimate back to “life as normal” the pressures and expectations led to debilitating anxiety and fear.

Isaac desperately wanted to be part of a community with people his own age and be able to do things where drugs and alcohol were not a part of everyday life—but unfortunately, he had no idea where or how to find them. In recovery, he was working as a basketball coach at the United Nations International School in Manhattan and was even set to move into his own apartment. But he began acting oddly that Thanksgiving and in December, Eve walked into his room and found him unresponsive, overdosed on opioids. After six weeks in a coma, Isaac died on January 14, 2014. He was 23 years old.

Sadly, it is too late for Isaac, but it’s not too late for the other young people who are struggling to cope and survive. Isaac was a loving, compassionate young man who was always helping others, and with Isaac as our inspiration, we are going to continue with his mission.

Enter: Isaac’s Mother; Eve and Bigvision Community.

Out of pure loss and grief, she set out on a mission. Eve formed a community in 2015; Bigvision.

It’s her passion project. It’s her way of dedicating her life to the memory of her dear son. It’s her way of ensuring that people can belong to a supportive peer-based community enabling those with a substance use disorder to belong to a tribe.

The Mission for BigVision:

Established in 2015, Bigvision Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young adults struggling with substance use to lead meaningful and fulfilling substance-free lives. We support recovery by offering a supportive peer community, creating a culture change around the stigma associated with addiction, and demonstrating that living life substance-free can be engaging, enriching and exciting. 

The Event in NYC:

An Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Fundraiser.

June 20, 2024, Thursday at 6:00 Bigvision will play for a purpose.

 Join us on Thursday, June 20 at 6:00 PM for a competitive and fun 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Fundraiser, with special guest, former NBA player Chris Herren (Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics) who celebrates over 15 years of sobriety.

This important tournament is a way to honor Isaac Goldberg Volkmar who tragically passed away from an accidental overdose in 2014. Every year, on what would have been his birthday, we host this tournament to honor him and his love of the game.

The Annual Walk in Central Park & White Party

Friday, June 21, 2024 also in NYC
The Walk in Central Park at 1:00 pm
The White Party at 6:30 pm
to create awareness and bond a community
stronger than ever before.

You can also email Kim at Sober Is The New Cool: sober.itnc@gmail.com