When Asheville local Heather Smith-Newman and her mother, Cheryl Smith, created the Ryan D. Smith Memorial Fund, their goal was simple: Keep Ryan’s story alive and continue the impact he had on everyone who knew him.

Ryan, Cheryl’s son and Heather’s younger brother, was a big-hearted, life-loving 26-year-old who made friends everywhere. Wrestling was a family passion when the kids were growing up in Connecticut. “Ryan lived and breathed it,” Heather says. “From living-room matches to Meriden Youth Wrestling and high school to even introducing it to friends in Mississippi.”

In 2016, another defining chapter began. After years of battling opioid addiction, Ryan entered Oxford Treatment Center in Mississippi determined to change his life. He threw himself into recovery, attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings daily, calling his sponsor regularly and following every piece of guidance from his therapists. He also made a daily gratitude practice part of his routine. “Ryan’s passion for sobriety was unlike anything most had seen,” Heather says.

Ten months later, on August 25, 2017, Ryan was killed in a car accident on his way to speak at a recovery meeting. The outpouring of love stunned his family. Friends, NA members and fellow patients credited Ryan with helping them stay sober. “They weren’t just praising his kindness,” Heather says. “They were giving him credit for their recovery.”

The following summer, Heather and Cheryl launched the memorial fund to honor what Ryan loved most and to support others fighting addiction. Their first fundraiser brought in over $10,000, funding scholarships for seniors in Ryan’s high school wrestling program and expanding Oxford’s equine therapy program, central to Ryan’s own healing.

Over time, one project became their focus: sober-living care bins for people beginning recovery. The idea came from Ryan himself. While living in sober housing, he once thanked his mom for sending essentials — sheets, toiletries, towels, food — and noted that many housemates lacked that support. “After the accident, we knew this was something we could do in his honor,” Heather says.

Each 18-gallon bin holds necessities including towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, a fleece blanket, a journal, socks and food. In 2018, Heather and Cheryl donated three bins to Essential Purpose Sober Living in Asheville. The effort grew each year. By 2024 they had donated 45 bins, each worth about $160. This July, to commemorate Ryan’s birthday, they set a goal of 20 bins but received enough donations for 28, bringing the total to 73.

Supporters give through an Amazon Wish List, often in memory of loved ones lost to addiction. “It reminds us how much Ryan was loved and how widespread the addiction problem is,” Heather says.

Each bin includes a letter sharing Ryan’s story and a message of encouragement. “These bins come from the family of a boy who once stood where they are,” Heather says. “Even when he was unsure of the road ahead, he believed it would lead him to the life he was meant to live. We tell them that on dark days, we trust that Ryan will give them the strength to keep going.”

Today, the bins go to residents of Essential Purpose Sober Living and New Horizons Recovery, a women’s sober-living house run by a friend Ryan met in rehab. Both organizations are located in Asheville. Heather hopes to expand to other homes, including the one where Ryan once lived. She stores donations in her garage “workshop,” assembles each bin herself, and delivers them to house owners to distribute to those most in need.

“Addiction recovery is a continuous process,” Heather says. “Many people have no support back home. These bins show that someone cares and can give them hope to stay sober, even if it’s just for one more day. If they can make it through that day, maybe they can make it through the next.”

For Heather and Cheryl, that’s the mission: to keep giving hope — just like Ryan did. “We were all so lucky to be spectators in his life,” Heather says. “These bins honor him and everyone fighting to stay clean and sober.”

Editor's Note: Stroll partner and owner of Little Bird Roofing, Bryson Lanier, recommended the Ryan D. Smith Memorial Fund. Bryson knows the toll and cost to humans beyond the battlefield. An Iraq veteran, he watched many soldiers fall to drugs, alcohol and suicide. Bryson supports Heather's incredible work and Ryan's legacy.