Friends In Deed is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

headquartered in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, founded in 1991 by Cynthia O'Neal and

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

as a response to the growing AIDS crisis. The organization was founded to provide support for people with life-threatening illnesses as well as the friends and family of those with such illnesses, and for anyone experiencing grief or bereavement for any reason.

Philosophy

According to Nichols and O'Neal, Friends In Deed's purpose is to promote the idea that the

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

does not depend on the circumstances. During an appearance on

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

in 2005, O'Neal said that

American culture The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...

views illness, dying, and

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

as a form of failure, and that this causes Americans to be unable to deal with terminal illnesses. In order to help its clients cope with the idea of death, Friends In Deed focuses on being "present-minded": giving people a sense of perspective about their illness, discouraging them from living in a state of rage or negativity.

Jonathan Larson and RENT

Jonathan Larson Jonathan David Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright most famous for writing the musicals ''Rent'' and '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'', which explored the social issues of multiculturalism, ...

, the author and composer of the Pulitzer prize winning musical

RENT Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

, attended several Friends In Deed meetings shortly after the group's founding in 1991. The "Life Support" group in the RENT musical is based on Larson's experiences with Friends In Deed, including explicit references to the Friends In Deed philosophy (e.g. "no day but today," the question of losing one's dignity, etc.) Cynthia O'Neal was invited to give a support group for the original cast of RENT at the New York Theatre Workshop, and has been invited on several occasions to meet subsequent casts of RENT.O'Neal, Cynthia, "Life, the Musical." ''Out'', December 2005.

References

External links

* {{cite web , url=http://friendsindeed.org/ , title=Friends In Deed official site , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327181955/http://www.friendsindeed.org/ , archivedate=2016-03-27 Organizations based in New York City