RICKY,Inc
Respecting Individuals with Care & Kindness, You matter
Respecting Individuals with Care & Kindness, You matter
Ricky, Inc. was established in March of 2020 and has been continuously distributing backpacks filled with essential personal needs items and seasonal clothing to persons suffering from homelessness, mental health issues and substance use disorder.
In August 2022 Ricky, Inc. became registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Drug Control Program to distribute Naloxone, better known as Narcan. We have started distributing this life-saving nasal spray and will continue to do so for as long as we can.
Thank you to everyone that helped us with our mission to provide relief to this segment of society and we hope to continue to receive your thoughtful and compassionate support.
Michelle Logan proudly displays her Ricky, Inc. tee shirt in front of the Chattanooga Tennessee Airport adding to our collection of U.S. states that the travelling tee shirt has been seen in.
Michelle travels through many states as part of her job with one of the largest national animal welfare agencies in the country and has promised to continue to contribute to our list of locations for the “Ricky, Inc. Travelling Tee Shirt”
Giacoppo family Patriarch Mike “PA” Giacoppo joins in the travelling tee shirt fun and is seen here sporting his Ricky, Inc. tee shirt in front of Michael & Margaret’s home in Fort Meyers Florida.
Mike is Ricky’s loving grandfather and like the rest of us, misses him very, very much!
Mike has been a constant and dependable donor & supporter of Ricky, Inc. and has been instrumental in assisting us on numerous occasions with our fundraising and charitable efforts.
Ricky loved his grandfather very much and would be delighted at his dedication
On Thursday January 19, 2023, we visited the PAATHS and AHOPE Programs on Albany Street in Boston.
We donated 80 backpacks to the two programs. These backpacks were given out to individuals facing homelessness, substance use disorder and mental health disorders.
Thank you to the dedicated staff at these two programs that fight the good fight every day and provide much needed assistance to those in need.
Thank you to Kenneth Washington and Leroy Ivey for their collaboration with Ricky Inc.
Bernadette & Rich personally handed out backpacks to those that visited PAATHS & AHOPE for resources. Many were surprised to receive their backpacks filled with so many needed personal hygiene and winter clothing items.
Making a difference in others lives, one step, one day & one person at a time.
Kenny helped us distribute the backpacks and made sure that everyone received a backpack and whatever other resources they may have needed.
Big shout out to Kenny !!!
On Friday January 20, 2023, Bernadette & Rich visited Youth on Fire (YOF), a program of AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, and is a drop-in center for homeless and street-involved youth, ages 14-24, located in Harvard Square, Cambridge.
We delivered 40 filled backpacks and pushed our current running total of backpacks distributed by Ricky, Inc. to 2,031 and counting.
Pictured with Rich & Bernadette is YOF Site Coordinator Katherine Sloss-Hartman
On Saturday January 21, 2023 good friends Jeannine, Sue and new friend Marina stopped by Ricky. Inc. to help us pack backpacks for our winter distribution. Along with Bernadette, the four of you worked so hard for many hours and filled 80 backpacks!
Thank you so very much for your kindness and thoughtfulness
Because of your dedication and hard work, we are now ready to distribute backpacks to the Jamaica Plain Veterans Campus methadone clinic and Substance Use Disorder residential program and the ACCESS Program in Cambridge which is run through the AIDS Action Committee. These Winter backpacks will help many men & women currently in crisis or in recovery.
"We would like to dedicate this act of kindness in memory of Brian Parsons"
Rest in sweet peace Brian on your Heavenly Birthday (Sunday Jan. 22)
Always in the name of our beloved son Ricky
Diligently placing winter items into the backpack in the proper sequence and order is a technique that Bernadette has mastered and passed along to all volunteers of Team Ricky .
There are approximately 40 items that are placed into our backpacks and range in size from large winter blankets to a small pack of anti-biotic cream and Band-Aids.
We could not complete our mission of helping others, if not for the loving help of others helping us.
God Bless all of the volunteer members of Team Ricky
On Thursday November 17, 2022, Rich & Bernadette went back to the Mass & Cass area of Boston and through our Narcan Street Outreach Program we distributed 42 doses of Naloxone. This area is overcrowded with homeless people, most of whom suffer from substance use disorder and/or mental health issues.
With the number of overdose deaths rapidly rising everyday, its a necessity to have this potentially life saving device on hand in case a medical response is needed. Naloxone (Narcan) can be administered within seconds and can be the difference between life and death.
We will continue our mission to help as many people in need (crisis) as possible and distribute Naloxone to the people that need it the most.
On Tuesday November 22, 2022, Ricky, Inc. delivered specially sized winter clothing for an individual associated with the Gavin House in South Boston. This gentleman was in the process of his recovery and needed some winter clothing that we were only too happy to provide for him at this time of year.
We do not customarily issue personal clothing other than the contents of our backpacks (hats, gloves, socks, etc.). However in this case we were fortunate enough to have just received this specialized clothing as a donation at the same time that he needed it.
Thank you to the donor and timing is everything !
In September, Ricky, Inc.'s President Rich Giacoppo sat down with Norwood Community Media's Jack McCarthy and filmed a segment for his weekly show Norwood Digest.
Please click on the following link to view the entire approximately 55 minute interview that included lots of information about Ricky, Inc., our nonprofit charitable activities and some powerful information regarding grief from the loss of a loved one.
https://reflect-npa.cablecast.tv/vod/12092-Digest-RichG-v1/vod.mp4
Special Thanks to Meghan Staffiere-Corbett, Brian Boudreau, Jack McCarthy and the entire staff at Norwood Community Media for making this possible.
Good friends and long-time neighbors of Ricky, Inc., Joe and Diane Kaminski made sure to wear their Ricky, Inc. tee shirts while away on their vacation in Cancun Mexico.
Thus far these tee shirts have been proudly displayed in Massachusetts, Maine, Utah and now Cancun Mexico. If you have a Ricky, Inc. tee shirt and wear it at a vacation location or another State/Country; please send us the photo and we'll add it to our website and the tee-shirt travel locations.
Our goal would be to have photos in all 50 States in the US and many other countries.
Joe K. sporting his tee shirt on his way to a leisurely day at the beach. Joe commented that the white tee shirt also protected him from the harmful rays of the sun and kept him cooler on a few very hot days while at this fantastic Mexican oceanfront resort.
Cancún, is a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea. It is known for its beaches, numerous resorts, nightlife and is the only other country that Ricky, Inc. has visited.
Thank you Joe & Diane
On Sunday Oct. 2, 2022 Bea & Rich took to the streets for our first Ricky, Inc. Narcan Street Outreach Program in Boston. We went to an area that was filled with hundreds of homeless people and most were also suffering from Substance Use Disorder.
We walked the area known as "Mass & Cass" with our cart filled with our life-saving Ricky, Inc. Safety Kits and offered to give them to anyone that wanted to receive them. Many people spoke with us and were extremely grateful to receive the safety kits that we provided. We also spent time on Atkinsons and Topeka Streets meeting many people that were struggling or in crisis; offering whatever assistance we may be able to provide.
We received many compliments along the way and were told that we were "doing God's work". Several people were visibly moved by our being there for them and commented that we were "saving lives by doing this". We appreciate that, but truly believe that we are only doing what our son Ricky would have wanted us to do in his memory. He was a big advocate of Narcan and this was the main reason and driving force behind us getting registered with the State to distribute it.
At the end of the day we had delivered 80 doses of Narcan to persons in a very risky setting in the City of Boston.
One Step, One Person, One Day at a time.
The Third Annual Ricky, Inc. Online Auction has come to an end and due to the compassion and generosity of the many people who opened their hearts to us and participated in the auction either by donating an item, bidding on an item or just making a thoughtful donation; the auction once again became an overwhelming success.
This year, we were able reach a record number of registered bidders (112) and were provided with a record number of donated auction gifts (89). These numbers far surpassed the last 2 years of auctions and accounted for our highest fundraising event to date.
As hoped for; our donor and sponsor list has grown significantly and has helped us to take our auction to another level. This has provided us and our participants with a wider array of auction gifts to choose from, with this year falling just short of 100 different items to bid on. We have, for the third straight year, received many compliments on the different and wide variety of items that were offered and we want to express our sincerest thanks and appreciation to all of those that donated these fantastic auction items.
We believe that our organization has received more popularity due to many factors such as the all-important “word of mouth”, our active Facebook, updated Website, new Instagram account and the incredible assistance the Norwood Police Social Media accounts, Norwood Community Media, Norwood Bulletin and the Local Town Pages Newspaper. Of course we would have nothing if not for the many, many businesses and individuals that opened their hearts to us, believed in our mission and went out of their way to solicit donations, auction prizes and make more people aware of Ricky, Inc.
We exceeded our original fund-raising goal by reaching approximately 110% of our expected goal. This total includes not only the proceeds from the auction but the generous donations that were made to Ricky, Inc. during the month of October outside of the auction.
This funding will enable us to continue to provide backpacks to those in crisis, transportation for those securing beds in treatment facilities that have a true financial need and we have already started providing financial sponsorship to someone suffering from substance use disorder that cannot afford to pay for their first month in treatment.
We continue to add new organizations to be recipients of our backpack program: increasing the number of persons that will not only receive a backpack and it's valuable resource booklet, but provide a degree of relief from life on the streets and possibly help them realize that they matter. Letting a person in a seemingly hopeless crisis know that someone cares can be a life-saving factor in their decision to seek recovery.
On behalf of the Ricky, Inc. Board of Directors, our Street Outreach Coordinators and all of our families and friends, we extend our most heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your kindness, generosity and your participation in making our fund raising event a huge success. We look forward to the Fourth Annual Ricky, Inc. Auction in September 2023 and hope for your continued support of our organization in the future.
Thank you for making a Difference
Thank you for helping us to honor and remember our beautiful boy Ricky.
God Bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness,
Rich & Bernadette Giacoppo
On Friday Sept. 30, 2022 Rich & Bea visited the Andrew House Treatment Center for Men in Boston. After speaking with the residential clients and conducting a question and answer session, they distributed 25 Backpacks as well as 10 doses of life-saving Naloxone/Narcan safety kits.
The couple also delivered 30 juice boxes for the men, dropped off puzzle books and artist's canvasses for the Ricky Memorial Reading Room and then took a tour of the facility with Kayla Cordoza and Robert Watson.
Pictured above is Rich holding up one of the Narcan Safety Kits, Andrew House Program Director Kayla Cordoza and Ricky, Inc. Vice President Bernadette Giacoppo
Our Naloxone/Narcan Safety Kits include:
On Tuesday Sept. 13, 2022 Rich was interviewed by Jack McCarthy on his cable show "Norwood Digest". They discussed the activities and services that Ricky, Inc. provides and highlighted the valuable backpack program including the incredible Resource Manual that they designed for people in crisis to get help.
Rich brought a backpack stuffed with hygiene products, winter clothing and much more and took each item out to show just how many items the backpacks are filled with.
Rich also announced that the 3rd Annual Ricky, Inc. Online Auction 2022 will begin on Wednesday Oct. 12th and run for 5-days to Sunday Oct. 16th.
Registration will begin on Wednesday Oct. 5th and can accessed on the Ricky, Inc. website with easy to follow directions & tutorial at www.rickyinc.org
The entire interview can be seen on Norwood Community Media's Norwood Digest show in early October. For a sneak peek at the short teaser of that interview, click on the following YouTube link https://youtu.be/mabDbhhng0M
This is Ricky with his family “photo bomb” precious Lady, Nicholas, Ricky, Tig, Christian, Sissy and Christopher. Our love is love for each other.
Its Official - We have been approved!
There are five days left to “International Overdose Awareness Month”. As we have said many times there are no words to fully describe losing our son to an overdose. Ricky fought this insidious disease for many years and our hearts are forever broken.
We have said Ricky was a fierce advocate of Narcan (Naloxone). Ricky carried it with him at all times. He told me “Mum carry it in your purse you could save a life”. And I do. We saved our beloved son’s life in our own home at least three times over the years with the Narcan Ricky gave us. As traumatic as this was each time we saved our son we had our Ricky with us. If only he had that chance on the day our world was forever changed.
We applied to the State of MA to be approved to the “Community Naloxone Purchasing Program” (CNPP) Affiliate Program. We are honored to announce we have been officially approved. We are hoping to have the ability to distribute Naloxone by September which is “National Recovery Month”. We thank Ricky for this. His passion was to get Narcan into as many hands as possible. I was once told by a Naloxone Trainer that while in rehab she would love to see Ricky as he was a joy and could easily have taught the class himself.
From the first backpacks we distributed it was our mission to learn how we could distribute Narcan. We truly don’t know how, after only six months of losing our beautiful boy we began this mission. We were still in shock from losing him and feel we still are.
This one is for you Ricky, we promise to uphold your dream. Naloxone saves lives and there is no question about it. The next few days leading up to Overdose Awareness Day we will post information on Naloxone.
If you will, please say a thank you to Ricky today for guiding us through this process and our success.
Forever Ricky’s Mum and Dad
On Saturday August 20, 2022 a team of 11 people planted over 14,000 different colored flags on Foxboro Common.
Each color represented one year of persons lives being lost to an overdose in Massachusetts.
Each flag was in remembrance of each person lost during that year.
Ricky, Inc. was well represented at this event and sent Rich, Bernadette and Christopher Giacoppo to spend the day (10am-4:30pm) helping to plant all of the flags on the Common.
A very laborious but extremely worthwhile task.
One of our Maine Street Outreach Coordinators and dedicated volunteer, Chris Giacoppo is seen above planting some of the Orange flags representing the 2,100 lives lost during 2016 to this insidious disease.
Bernadette Giacoppo, our newly elected Vice President, is diligently planting Blue flags into the 2018 section where 2,033 lives were lost to an overdose.
Please Do Your Part to End the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder and please always remember our Ricky
Ricky, Inc. President Rich Giacoppo is securing the Neon Green flags into the 2019 section.
This was the year in which we lost our Ricky and our lives changed forever.
We will continue to remember Ricky by helping those in crisis for as long as we are able.
2015 - Green - 1,710 Lives
2016 - Orange - 2,100 Lives
2017 - Yellow - 2,500 Lives
2018 - Blue - 2,033 Lives
2019 - Neon - 1,952 Lives
2020 - Red - 2,035 Lives
2021 - Purple - 2,290 Lives
14,620 Lives lost to Overdose
The Stakes Are High event will culminate on Sunday Aug. 28, 2022 10am-2pm at Foxboro Common
Please join us and help stop this horrible disease from taking anymore of our loved ones!
Our beautiful boy we miss you more every day, we want to share Ricky’s passions in honor of Overdose Awareness month and to help end the stigma and share one of the beloved faces of substance use disorder.
Ricky was a beautiful baby not just because I’m his mom but because people would say he’s too pretty to be a boy.
He loved to play with his matchbox cars that his grandfather would bring each visit.
He loved his little green army men. But most of all he loved his Jammie’s robe blanket and sippy cup while watching Winnie the Pooh.
Ricky loved to read in grammar school he joined a book club. He was involved in many sports but would prefer to be reading.
In middle school he volunteered at MSPCA working mostly with the pit bulls and was asked by MSPCA to be in a video to end the stigma around pit bulls being aggressive dangerous dogs. In the video Ricky is hugging, kissing, and rolling in the grass with these beautiful dogs. No job was too menial for Ricky he did it all from cleaning the cages to walking the dogs. He later became a foster family for pets in need. Of course he adopted two of the cats
Ricky was a history buff and joined a civil war round table in middle school with his Dad they made a specific exception for his age. We still have his library on the Civil War. A family trip to Gettysburg was a dream come true for him.
Ricky made friends easily and loved many like family some friends for his lifetime
Ricky was in four school plays one being the lead part
Ricky joined a morning radio show in 6th grade calling in every morning known as Ricky The Paperboy. We had no idea.
Ricky had a quick wit like no other he could have easily done stand up.
Ricky joined PETA in 9th grade and advocated for animals and against the labs that did testing on them. He once wore a Turkey suit over a highway overpass with a sign that read “go Vegan”. He was vegan for a time.
Ricky adored his Dog Lady, he called her his therapy pet
Ricky took piano lessons; he was an acolyte at church
Ricky was working on writing his life story
Ricky gave the best hugs he would always press his cheek to yours.
Ricky was loyal to all those he loved
Ricky was a self-proclaimed Mama’s Boy
Ricky as an adult would sit for hours with his Dad watching TV laughing Loud. I mean really loud the two of them… I loved being in bed and hearing them…I’d say thank you God for having this moment
Ricky loves his brothers he was loyal and truly felt joy when his brothers excelled or as simple as spending time together laughing and hanging together
Ricky talked often about the family trip to Aruba in his twenties with his brothers and all their crazy fun antics together
Ricky was with his Mum and grandmother in Florida during Hurricane Katrina Ricky was our protector
Ricky got his dream job at Animal Rescue League as an adoption counselor
Ricky attended UMASS Boston to be a Substance Use Counselor
Ricky hoped to one day to be a paralegal
As a family we sat together at the kitchen table every night for dinner
We did homework at the dining room table
We built forts
We built bike jumps
We went to Nana and Pa’s every Sunday for family dinner for many years
Ricky and his Nana would spend hours together smoking cigarettes, talking and laughing out loud (3 of his favorite things to do)
We went to Sissy’s at the Cape for years, swimming, fishing, making crab traps out of soda bottles (catch and release of course)
We made seashell necklaces and ornaments
We had popcorn Pepsi parties
We read together every night
We went on family trips with Sissy (Grandmother) several which were Disney
Ricky would jump on our bed throughout his life right up to the day before the world changed just to talk or act silly, Ricky loved to make us laugh
We had our issues like any family
We love each other each fiercely
We are a loving family that never ever imagined we would end up here.
We are like you
We are a mother
We are a Father
We are a brother
We are a family that is left to ask why?
Why our beautiful Ricky?
Why God?
Please Do Your Part to End the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder and please remember our Ricky
On Monday Aug. 8, 2022 Ricky, Inc. and The Family Restored collaborated and partnered up to build and distribute 60 Summer backpacks in Portland, Maine.
Each backpack was individually filled by the volunteers with the usual Summer contents that included Narcan (compliments of The Family Restored) and a resource manual for substance use disorder help/support/and programming in the State of Maine.
Pictured from The Family Restored is Rachel, Mary, Brittney, and Eric G.
From Portland Sober Living; Eric H., Jacob, John, and Noah.
From Atlantic House is Judah.
All volunteers brought their good mood and bright smiles to the assembly line.
In the foreground on the right packing a backpack is The Family Restored Executive Director Eric Girard alongside new TFR staff member Rachel
It is a collective effort to pack this many bags properly, and Ricky Inc.'s Quality Control Expert, Bernadette, is overseeing the great work of the men from Portland Sober Living and Atlantic House.
The backpacks, 35 male & 25 female, were divided into two sets of 30 and distributed to Preble Street Health Services Center and Milestone Recovery Home Team
Accepting the backpacks from Rich are Milestone Recovery Home Team members Courtney & Brooks.
They are part of a team that offers mobile services for Milestone clients.
Preble Street Health Services provides many much needed resources and has accepted the backpacks for their clients from the Ricky, Inc./Family Restored collaborative group
Pictured above L-R: Eric, Rich, Rachel, Brittney & Daniel
We are grateful today in hopes that we may have made even a small difference in the life of those that need it; reminding them that they are loved, respected and they matter to us.
On Tuesday August 2, 2022 Ricky, Inc. visited the Town of Norwood Veterans Affairs Director Teddy Mulvehill and made another backpack delivery.
These 13 backpacks will benefit local male and female veterans who need assistance and may be facing homelessness, mental health issues and/or substance use disorder. Teddy does great work in providing services and finding homes for veterans in crisis. He will distribute these backpacks as the need arises and we will continue to provide the Town of Norwood and its Veterans with these materials.
Thank you to the men and women who have served our country, and to Teddy (USMC) for all he does to support and provide benefits for the Veterans.
We at Ricky Inc want Veterans to know that they matter and we are here for them.
Always in the name of our beloved son Ricky
On Thursday July 21, 2022 Ricky, Inc. visited with the female residents and staff at the Shepherd House in Dorchester. This was our first of many visits to come and we were greeted by a friendly and helpful staff led by the Program Director Zanele McIntyre.
Rich spoke with the women for over 30 minutes, detailing Ricky's story, the effects on loved ones, staying strong in recovery and the importance of ending the stigma of addiction. The women were impressed when Rich took the items out of a backpack to show them the contents they were about to receive. They were so gracious and appreciative for each and every item and let him know how much it really meant to them.
Many of them were also giving condolences and saying how proud Ricky would be of his parents for doing this work for people in need and showing them kindness and compassion, both of which they stated that they are not used to receiving especially from strangers. The atmosphere was so very friendly and comfortable even though we were in the middle of an incredible heat wave.
After the question and answer session, the women each received their backpacks and every one of them came up to and personally thanked Rich. Several of them stayed and spoke about their stories and stated that our visit was inspirational to them.
We were able to distribute 23 backpacks to all of the clients in the program, several Grief Packets and each woman also received one of our purple Ricky, Inc. bracelets with our web site and motto; Respecting Individuals with Care & Kindness You matter.
Helping people in need, 1 step, 1 day & 1 person at a time
We CAN make a difference
Always in the name of our beloved Ricky
On Wednesday June 22, 2022 Ricky, inc. visited the New Victory program for men in Dorchester. This was our 2nd visit and we were warmly accepted again by all of the house.
Rich & Bernadette spoke with the men for about 30 minutes and did a show & tell with the contents of the backpacks that the men were receiving. Every resident received a filled backpack and showed their overwhelming thanks and gratitude. We were able to distribute 35 backpacks to all of the clients in the program.
The men were so receptive and compassionate that one man asked that we hold a moment of silence in honor of Ricky. It was a wonderful moment and something that we were very grateful for, especially since the man did not know Ricky.
Program Director Laura Holt was gracious and supportive, and her staff was very helpful to us during our stay. It was obvious how much Laura and her staff truly care about the men.
Pictured above is Bernadette & Rich, Laura Holt and her staff and several clients residing in this house. In the forefront is Richard, who is holding a photo of Ricky. Richard knew Ricky many years ago and was sad to hear about his passing.
Thank you to every single man in that house for making this move in your lives and we hope and pray that we have helped you in some small way to regain your strength, self-esteem and dignity
On Wednesday June 15, 2022 Ricky, Inc. visited the "new" location for Andrew House CSS (formerly in Stoughton).
Andrew House CSS provides clinical stabilization/step-down services for male clients leaving detox or in need of acute
(non medical) treatment.
Above Christopher Giacoppo who is a Ricky, Inc. Street Outreach Coordinator and his mother Bernadette spoke with the men at length and conducted a positive question and answer session before personally handing out 20 backpacks to the men.
As always, we were greeted with a warm and grateful reception by the staff at Andrew House. They make us feel very welcome and make sure to show us how much they appreciate the backpacks that we provide for their clients and the books that we donated to their residents' library.
Pictured L-R; Christopher Giacoppo, Bernadette & Rich Giacoppo, Patty Sylvester Lead Counselor, Ozzy Ruiz Operations Director and Robert Hall Counselor.
On Thursday June 9, 2022 Ricky, Inc. delivered 35 backpacks to the staff of Youth On Fire in Harvard Square.
YOF is a program of the Aids Action Committee and is a drop-in center for homeless and street involved youth. Young people in need can receive on-site behavioral health and medical care along with hot meals, shower, laundry and many more valuable resources that we all take for granted every day.
We have been to YOF many times and are always greeted by the friendly and appreciative staff that distribute the Ricky, Inc backpacks as well as the Trevor Project booklets that we provided them with.
Pictured L-R; Katherine Sloss-Hartman YOF Site Coordinator, Summer Interns Giovanni & Ed next to Bernadette.
Also on Thursday June 9, 2022, Ricky, Inc. delivered 35 backpacks to the Access Drug User Health Program in Central Square.
Access is part of Fenway Health Systems and the Aids Action Committee and provides numerous resources for its clients, including harm reduction, overdose prevention, medical attention by an on-site doctor and HIV/HCV/STI testing and much more.
We were given a tour of the facility by Brian who is an Outreach Coordinator and Overdose Aftercare Specialist. We were extremely impressed with the amount of services that they provide, the medical care space and the incredible staff.
Pictured above L-R; Mars, Bryan, Rich, Bernadette, Brian, Sonya and Jive (holding the stuffed Teddy Bear).
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