Mission
We raise funds to benefit proven Madison non-profits doing the critical, life-saving work of advancing awareness, fostering outreach, or delivering treatment services in our community.
Our imperative is to support those who help rebuild young lives disrupted by substance use disorder and addiction.
History
Aidan Sweet was a beautiful, intelligent, perceptive, compassionate young man. He was just seventeen when he died shortly after taking a sleep aid, not knowing it contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, a potent, odorless, flavorless opioid.
His mother, Margaret, founded ASIF in 2020 and joined with other parents striving to protect families from the devastation of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit prescriptions and medications. Her activism evolved into a broader imperative to support those who help rebuild young lives disrupted by substance use disorder.
Margaret’s fiercest wish is that Aidan still shared the world with her, but her next wish is that no one else will suffer as she and Aidan, and all those who love them, have.
Isintu
The Zulu people of South Africa have a word for humankind or humanity that has greater meaning than those terms do in English.
Isintu refers to the special interactions among people which make each person involved in the exchange feel more connected, more fulfilled, and more whole.
We believe that isintu is manifest in the compassion and strength we are all capable of giving one another, and that it is the way to transform lives and communities.
Team
MARGARET SWEET
President / Director
KAY LEKOMA
Vice President / Director
MUNYA CHASI
Director
KATIE PLACE
Secretary / Treasurer
News
Our 2024 spring fundraiser, held in honor of Aidan’s 21st birthday, was attended by nearly eighty friends, neighbors and co-workers, and exceeded its fundraising goal of $9,000.
Our fundraising focus this year was Madison’s smallest non-profit recovery center, 5 Door Recovery. Its special mission is to serve people with substance use disorder who lack private health insurance. Mary Haberman, Project Director, spoke about the work of her organization, which is a critical pillar of Madison’s recovery landscape.
Despite scrupulous care, the center operates at a loss, relying on donations to fund the gap. Covering this shortfall secures life-saving, local treatment for those who have the fewest options. This event’s proceeds will fund the 30-day program shortfall for five people.