IONIA COUNTY, Mich. (WZZM) -- Ionia County's Substance Abuse Initiative has announced two new support groups.
Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (or GRASP) and Ryan's Friends both help people grieving a loved one whose death is related to addiction or substance abuse.
Ryan's Friends is a support group for kids.
Founders of both groups have lost family members to substance abuse. GRASP founders Pat and Russ Wittberger began this effort after their daughter's death from a heroin overdose. Sherri (Bristow) Boster is a local community member and mother who lost her son due to an overdose as well. She is leading the GRASP group for Ionia County.
In addition, Sherri and her 10-year-old son Ryan have developed Ryan's Friends and describe it as kids healing kids after a loss through addiction/substance use. This group runs concurrent with GRASP dates and times and is facilitated by Ryan. Ryan was 8 when he lost his brother to an overdose. He is now an advocate for drug awareness and helping other children in any way possible.
Here's some information about these groups and others in Ionia County:
- Families Anonymous – alternating Mondays 6-7:30pm at the Ionia County Health Department
- Narcotics Anonymous – Mondays 6-7pm at the Ionia County Health Department
- SMART Recovery – Wednesdays 6-7:30pm at the Belding Memorial Library, Fridays 1-2:30pm at the Ionia County Health Department
- GRASP – 2nd Monday of each month 6-7pm at the Ionia County Health Department (Contact Sherri Boster to register at 616-523-6141 or Sherri0516@gmail.com)
- Ryan's Friends - 2nd Monday of each month 6-7pm at the Ionia County Health Department (Contact Sherri Boster to register at 616-523-6141 or Sherri0516@gmail.com)
If you or someone you knows need more information about addiction services available in Ionia County, please contact the ICSAI at 616-527-5341.
