Those closest to actor Matthew Perry are understandably emotional on the one-year anniversary of his death.

The love for Perry, who died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54, and his determination to help others struggling with addiction have inspired his longtime team, consisting of manager Doug Chapin, publicist Lisa Kasteler-Calio and Managing Director Lisa Ferguson, whose commitment inspires the Matthew Perry Foundation in the USA, which was founded shortly after his death.

Its mission today is to provide grants to grassroots organizations that want to “fill the gaps in people’s recovery journeys,” says Chapin, who serves as the foundation’s board chairman. “One of the reasons it’s difficult not to be emotional is because it’s an organization built out of love for it. What we all share is this act of love for Him.

The foundation, together with the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, founded by the actor’s family, implemented Perry’s 2022 memoir. Friends, lovers and the big terrible thing into a kind of blueprint.

“We base ourselves on the book. We didn’t have to look for a mission. We had it,” says Kasteler-Calio, who serves as managing director. “Matthew was so brave to write this book and let people into the room with him. He didn’t leave anything out. And the motivation wasn’t to become more famous or make more money. It was to do what turned out to be the most important thing he wanted: to help people.”

One of the foundation’s primary goals is to combat the stigmatization of the 48 million Americans who struggle with the disease of addiction. “Only a fifth of these 48 million seek help out of shame,” says Kasteler-Calio. “(Perry) was so convinced that he was less than he was, that he was never good enough. I believe his life would have been significantly different if he had understood that it wasn’t his fault.”

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“What keeps people from seeking help is stigma,” Chapin adds. “So this is kind of the big kahuna. And then the people helping on the trip kind of became project-specific for us.”

The more than 20 initial grantees include groups such as The Wall Las Memorias, which supports Latino and LGBTQ+ communities in LA, and a program that provides addiction counseling via telemedicine to people incarcerated at California’s Santa Rita Prison.

The foundation also funds the Fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, the first program to bear Perry’s name. Under the direction of Dr. The fellowship will provide continuing education to Sarah Wakeman, a national leader in the field of addiction medicine. “She created this year-long program to train doctors to deal with the disease,” says Kasteler-Calio, noting that they have committed to funding a total of four fellowships over four years.

As for funding, “We have had and continue to receive great support from his fans and from his estate, and that is enough to get us started,” says Chapin. “But we need and welcome more people to get involved.”

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Now, with memories of Perry strengthening them, his former team remains focused on the task ahead. “We have spent so much of our career helping him achieve the things he wanted to achieve that in his absence I believe we are achieving his primary goal, which is to be remembered for helping people have,” says Chapin.

“And honestly, knowing what he would think of what we do means everything to me,” adds Chancellor-Calio. “I just know he would be blown away by the work we do.”

For more information and ways to donate, visit the Matthew Perry Foundation.