The Big Groups

02/26/2026

We celebrate the life and mourn the passing of John Herrera, a longtime member and volunteer in the Friends In Deed community.

Mr. Herrera was a familiar face to theatre lovers across the United States.

05/30/2025

This picture was shared with us yesterday.

It’s a double rainbow over the Triborough Bridge, taken on May 13, 2016. It’s the day our beloved Robert Levithan died.

Love and light, Bobby. We love you and we miss you.

06/24/2024

To paraphrase Stephen Sondheim, “Good times and bum times. We’ve seen them all and our dears, we’re still here.”

The Big Group continues, supporting those living with life threatening illness, caregiving, grief and bereavement.

If you are a member of the Friends In Deed community and want support, we are here. If you are new to us, we are here. If you’d like to reconnect, we are here. We’d love to see your smiling faces.

Cy O’Neal facilities the group three times a week:

Monday from 12:00Noon to 1:00PM
Tuesday from 7:00PM to 8:30PM
Thursday from 6:00PM to 7:00PM

For more information, email us at thebiggroups@gmail.com.

Together we (still) say, Amen.

12/14/2023

It is with sadness we inform you that our friend Bill McCallion has died. A longtime member of the Friends In Deed community, Bill died peacefully at home on November 13 at the age of 71.

Bill was an architect and an activist. He was sober and one of the longest long term survivors of AIDS. Actually he was much more than a survivor. He lived through the experiences, emerging from them with humor, kindness, strength and a fair share of wisdom.

Bill was a tireless supporter of both the Friends In Deed and sobriety communities. He touched all our lives.

Bill, we love you and we miss you.

04/24/2023

We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Valda Setterfield, a longtime member of the Friends In Deed community.

07/25/2022

THE BIG GROUP - Summer Break - Week of July 25, 2022

We are on hiatus this week. The Big Grouo will NOT meet on Monday, July 25, Tuesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 28.

We will resume on Monday, August 1.

If you need emotional support, please reach out via email first to thebiggroups@gmail.com. Someone will get back to you. We check our email several times a day.

03/16/2022

Late last week, we received the news that our friend and longtime member of the Friends In Deed community, Robin Magid died. She touched so many of our lives through leading groups, crisis counseling and with her loving presence. Our condolences go out to her partner, Carol Morgan. Robin was loved by all of us at Friends In Deed and she will be dearly missed.

Thank you, Robin.

10/24/2021

In 1991, Friends In Deed opened its doors to those living with life threatening illness, their families, friends and caregivers and to those dealing with grief and bereavement. Thirty years later, there is still a need.

The Big Groups, formerly run by Friends In Deed continue on a volunteer basis. We are here to support each other in the belief that the quality of our lives is never affected by the circumstances.

There are three Big Groups every week:

Monday from 12:00Noon to 1:00PM
Tuesday from 7:00PM to 8:30PM
Thursday from 5:00PM to 6:00 PM

For more information, please send an email to thebiggroups@gmail.com. We will respond promptly.

You are not alone.

09/05/2021

To quote a family member, “One of the greatest dogs whoever lived is gone.” Cy’s beloved Louie.

Louie loved all of us and we loved him.

One particular thing Louie loved was to hear our applause at the end of a Big Group. Tonight we paraphrase a line from Peter Pan.

If you believe in Louie, clap your hands.

GOD bless him.

02/16/2021

The Big Groups support those living with life threatening illnesses, caregiving, grief and bereavement.

Our groups are drop in with no advance reservation required.

These are the groups formerly run by Friends In Deed.

For more information, please send an email to thebiggroups@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you.

01/18/2021

“It’s a serious thing to be alive on this fresh morning in a broken world.”
- Mary Oliver

11/19/2020

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020

AT 5:00PM

THE BIG GROUP - For information please send email to thebiggroups@gmail.com

AT 5:30PM

THE HIV LONG TERM SURVIVORS GROUP - For information please send email to fid@gmhc.org

Our groups take place online, on Zoom.

We look forward to seeing you.

We are in this together. You are not alone.