About the founder

Founder's Story: In Loving Memory of Adam Sun
My son, Chandis Adam Strehlen, was born at home on January 11, 1982. He was a kind, joyful, and gifted person who loved music, art, and his family and friends. Everyone who met Adam loved him. His father, who had encouraged me to have his child, left town not long after he was born. I raised Adam on my own, doing my best to give him a good life filled with love and creativity.

When Adam was 18, he developed schizophrenia. It took me two exhausting years to get him diagnosed and connected to medical help, and another twelve years before I could get him into supported housing. During that time, we were largely alone. Very few friends or family stayed involved, and I carried the weight of caregiving by myself, navigating a system that was slow, fragmented, and deeply lacking in compassion.

Adam became increasingly isolated. The world seemed to look the other way. He died alone in his supported housing room—accidentally poisoned by fentanyl. His death, like so many others, was preventable.

If I had had support—if Adam had had a buddy, someone who checked on him, spent time with him, reminded him he mattered—I believe with all my heart that he would still be alive. What he needed wasn’t just medication or housing. He needed connection. Companionship. Community.

I created Adam Sun Hope Sanctuary in his memory, to offer what we didn’t have: a lifeline of care for boys, men, and their caregivers—especially those living with mental illness, addiction, and the trauma of being left behind. This sanctuary is my promise that no one else should have to face what we did. Through peer support, harm reduction, and real human connection, we are creating a space where healing is possible, and hope lives on.