The Unboxing OD Podcast is honored to support the Heather & Edward Allen Roth 4th Foundation for the Arts in Medicine (HEAR 4 FAM)

The Heather and Edward Allen Roth 4th Foundation for Arts in Medicine (HEAR 4 FAM) Fund was created to honor the life, spirit, and values of Edward “Eddie” Allen Roth IV. Eddie was a gifted and endlessly empathic young man who found meaning, expression, and connection through music, exercise, nature, and friendship. He was a drummer, guitarist, swimmer, cook, gamer, music lover, and deep feeler. Nothing brought Eddie more joy than simply being with others. HEAR 4 FAM is a living tribute to his vibrant and giving life, grounded in the belief that connection, creativity, and a caring community can help us heal. #SayHisName 

Heather, Eddie’s sister, is a kind, brilliant, and grounded presence whose resilient strength and compassion continue to inspire this work. Her name in the foundation is not only a gesture of sibling love, but a symbol of continuity, courage, and the hope we carry forward together.

The foundation supports individuals in recovery, their families and broader communities, through a variety of creative wellness initiatives. These include group music-making experiences that foster social connection in recovery communities; songwriting sessions designed to help people express themselves and process emotions; small grants for students who demonstrate resilience, community orientation, or creative promise; and public events that use the arts to spark public conversation about mental health and well-being. We also support movement-based programs that facilitate physical activity, as well as nature-based experiences that integrate reflection, connection, and time outdoors.

Our aim is to create opportunities for people to heal, grow, and more completely contribute to their communities, especially through the same channels of joy and meaning that shaped Eddie’s life: music, movement, friendship, nature, and shared experience. In everything we do, we strive to help others live more fully, love more deeply, and connect more honestly. #LiveLikeEddie

The HEAR4FAM Fund is a component fund of Kalamazoo Community Foundation.