Wellspring Newsletter Nov 2011
Transcription
Wellspring Newsletter Nov 2011
November, 2011 www.wellspringky.org Wellspring Named a Partner in SAMHSA Housing First Grant! In September, the Homeless Coalition walked the streets of Louisville Metro and surveyed homeless people as part of the “100,000 Homes Campaign.” The results were startling; a large number of the participants reported major health risks, and the average length of homelessness was five years. from these health conditions, we can move people off the streets and into successful, fulfilling lives.” rd But on September 23 the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced a grant award that will address those issues for at least 75 adults in our community. This three-year $1.5M grant “will help rebuild the lives of people and families who are chronically homeless because of a behavioral health problem,” explains SAMSHA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “By providing housing that supports recovery The grant will target chronically homeless adults with severe mental illness, substance abuse, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse. Taking a Housing First approach, the first priority of this grant is to connect those in need of housing with permanent housing and will involve a number of community agencies, including Wellspring. “We are excited to have a significant role in this important effort to provide housing to some of the most vulnerable homeless adults in our community and pleased that Wellspring will now be able to offer ‘Housing First’ as one of the choices in our array of supportive housing options,” says Kathy Dobbins, Wellspring Executive Director. Phoenix Health Center for the Homeless, a division of Family Health Centers, Inc., is the lead agency in this program. Wellspring will offer case management, peer support services and art therapy as part of the intensive individualized services designed to increase recovery and sustain permanent support housing. H ea lt hy M ind s, H ea lt hy Bo die s: We llsp ring Clie nt s ’ Lif est y le C hang es I mprov e T heir L iv es Like many Americans, Wellspring’s participants are becoming increasingly conscious of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We first heard that the Crescent House program fellows had changed their dietary habits, and then the ladies at Concord Apartments started frequenting the Family YMCA. Ardery House residents began reexamining their shopping lists and food preparation techniques, and participants across the programs have redoubled their efforts to quit or reduce smoking. Crescent House residents are eating healthier and feeling better because of it. Wellspring Open House 2 Welcome Board Members! 2 Tribute to Cornelia Atherton Serpell 2 Letter from the Chairman 3 Art Show & Sale a Success! 4 Wellspring Wallopalooza Golf Marathon 4 Humana Volunteers at Shelbyville 4 Kentucky Colonels & Women’s Club Grants 5 Holiday Wish List 5 Mayor Fischer Visits Wellspring! 6 Client Health Initiatives Purchasing food with lower fat, sodium, and sugar content. Choosing to prepare food in healthier ways. The Concord ladies are visiting the YMCA multiple times a week! The result? Residents are more active, feel more positive about themselves and are more confident about making changes that can improve their lives. We applaud these efforts and commend Wellspring’s program staff for all the support they offer to our residents in beginning and sustaining important lifestyle choices. crisis stabilization services Inside this issue: supported housing Including more fruits and vegetables in daily menu plans. Taking up weight-bearing exercises, joining swimming classes, walking, and biking. Using smoking cessation tools to reduce cigarette smoking. independent housing Wellspring Welcomes Two New Board Members! Dawn Franklin Croft Dawn fell in love with Wellspring and the work we do after attending the Derby Preview Party. She decided to get her feet wet at Wellspring by serving on our 2011 Derby Preview Party Committee and plans to stay on the Committee in her new role as a Board member. Dawn, who is a corporate attorney for Yum! Brands, will also serve on Wellspring’s Nominating & Governance Committee. Join us for an open house and holiday celebration at Wellspring’s new Administrative Center! Enjoy light, festive fare, catch up with old friends, and tour our new office space. 225 W. Breckinridge Street Louisville, KY 40203 (502) 637-4361 Parking is available on the street or across from Wellspring in the Kroger parking lot. Trinity Campisano Trinity has been a volunteer with Wellspring for 3 years, playing an integral role on our Derby Preview Party Committee. She is active in Humana’s Account Installation Volunteer Network, which has carried out several successful projects for Wellspring. For her participation in the Humana Day of Service in April of 2011, the Humana Foundation selected Trinity to designate $1,000 to the organization of her choice—and she chose Wellspring! In Tribute to Cornelia Atherton Serpell: Wellspring Honorary Board M ember and Community M ental Health Advocate Wellspring sadly acknowledges the death of Cornelia Serpell, who passed away this fall. As a tribute to this pioneer and steadfast friend, and with her family’s blessings, we share the following: She served on numerous boards and councils, including: Wellspring, Visiting Nurses Association, the Council for Health Services, the Kentucky Advisory Council for Mental Health, the Commission on Aging, the State Board of Medical Licensure, and the Kentucky Legislature Ethics Commission. Born in Glenview on March 7, 1917 to Cornelia A. Atherton and Peter Lee Atherton, Cornelia Atherton Serpell took her last breath on Earth and peacefully entered Heaven in God’s care on September 10, 2011. She received many awards of merit, including: Louisville Collegiate School’s first Distinguished Alumna Award, the Health Kentucky-Service to Humanity Award, the Kilgore Good Samaritan Award, and the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities President’s Award. Preceding her in eternal life are her parents; her sister, Sarah Atherton, and brother, John M. Atherton. Those who remain to honor and cherish her memory forever are her daughter, Cornelia Yankovich (Robert), four nephews, and a host of friends. She was a life-long champion of many causes related to health and the wellbeing of those challenged with mental health issues. Cornelia was a strong force in improving the lives of those in need; she lifted them up and gave them a chance. Courageous and steadfast in all facets of her life, Cornelia will remain a beacon of light and an inspiration to those who follow the pathways she blazed. She served as the Public Relations Director and the Coordinator of Patient Rehabilitation for Central State Hospital, collaborated in establishing the Kentucky Association for Mental Health and organized state-wide mental health committees. The family requests that gifts in tribute to Cornelia and her passion for improving the lives of those who combat mental illness be made to Wellspring. In Eastern Kentucky, Cornelia and an RN rode on horseback to transport patients to the Children’s Clinics. Cornelia also chaired the fundraising efforts for the first mobile cancer unit in Kentucky. To commemorate the 95th anniversary of her birth, a Celebration of the Life of Cornelia Serpell is being planned for early March, 2012. Details will be shared as they are confirmed. 2 A Message from the Wellspring Board Chairman Pick. Select. Choose. How many times a day do we all take any one of these actions without even thinking about it? And how many times do we take for granted how fortunate we are that we can pick? That we can make a selection? That we really do have a choice? In the nearly 30 years since Wellspring was founded, perhaps one of the most important things we’ve learned is that no one picks to live a life with “We help those with mental illness. No one who has a mental illness see mental illness got to select which that they can recover disease would strike them without warning. And no one really chooses and lead fulfilling lives, even if different to abandon their hopes and dreams for a life that brings daily than what they had challenges; to face derision from once envisioned.” those who have never known what it is like not to get to pick, or select, or choose how to manage even the most basic activities of daily living. But that’s what Wellspring is all about. We help those with mental illness see that they can recover and lead fulfilling lives, even if different than what they had once envisioned. They can learn the skills necessary to become engaged, contributing members of the community, in spite of their mental illness. Does it work for everyone? No, but that’s why Wellspring offers an array of programs to support our clients where they are – in the figurative sense. As we move into the holiday season, let us all reflect on the many blessings we enjoy and be grateful. And let us also look to those whose lives can be made immeasurably better, with just a little bit of help. We ask that you help us in whatever way you can to continue changing and even saving lives – and in doing so, change our little corner of the world. And that’s a great place to start. It’s easy to make a gift to Wellspring! Just complete the form below and send it to: Wellspring, PO Box 1927, Louisville, KY 40201 I would like to make a one-time gift of $________________ _____A check is enclosed. (Make check payable to Wellspring. Please do not mail cash.) Please charge my credit card: ___Visa ___MC ___AmEx Name as it appears on card:__________________________ Billing Address: ____________________________________ Acct. #: _____________________________ Exp. Date_____ I would like to pledge a total of $____________, to be paid ____monthly ____quarterly ____annually ____ Yes, please send pledge reminders. My employer, _______________________ matches my gift. Donor Name: ______________________________________ Telephone: _______________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ____________________________________ This gift is: In Memory Of: ____________________(name of deceased) In Honor Of: _______________________(name of honoree) To Celebrate: _____________________________________ __________________________(birthday, anniversary, etc.) Please acknowledge my gift to: _______________________ With gratitude, Address: _________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ____________________________________ T oy ot a C a rs fo r G o o d G r a n t s We l l spr i n g $ 1 , 00 0 Take a Tour of Wellspring! To learn more about how Wellspring impacts the lives of our clients and our community, join us for a brief tour of Wellspring program sites. We select different programs each month, so call or email today to register for one that most interests you—and you’ll see what a difference Wellspring can make! Friday, November 11 Noon Wednesday, December 21 4:00 pm Tuesday, January 10 2:00 pm Friday, February 10 Noon We may not have won first place, but our high level of participation still netted us a $1,000 donation from Toyota! And we certainly created a buzz and cultivated many new relationships in the community. Thanks to all who helped us spread the word about Wellspring and our services by voting on facebook and telling your friends! Contact Nancy Doctor at nancy.doctor@wellspringky.org or by phone at 502-753-1453 to sign up for a tour today! 3 2011 Ment al Illness Aw are ness Week A rt Sa le a nd Pa ne l D isc uss io n wa s t he be st yet ! On the evening of Friday, October 7, the Speed Art Museum was abuzz! To commemorate Mental Illness Awareness Week, community members came to view and buy art created by program participants and listen to a moving panel discussion. The annual event, presented by Wellspring, Bridgehaven, Seven Counties Services, and NAMI Louisville, drew its largest crowd yet – over 500 people! The panel discussion featured the compelling stories of three special Louisville leaders. Wellspring’s own Community Support Specialist, Eric Cecil, shared a very personal account of his own struggle with mental illness and successful recovery. Bertha Diaz-Story, Vice President of the NAMI Kentucky Board of Directors and Secretary of NAMI Louisville’s Board, shared her experience as a family member of a person who lives with mental illness. Sadiqa Reynolds, Chief Community Builder for Louisville Metro Government and former District Court Judge, added a poignant perspective of losing a close loved one to mental illness. This powerful discussion was facilitated by mental health advocate and WHAS11 News Anchor Renee Murphy. Renee also aired a special interview with Sadiqa on the afternoon of the event that took us one step forward in raising awareness of mental illness in the Louisville community. Wellspring Wallopalooza Raises over $20,000 for Recovery! The first ever Wellspring Wallopalooza Golf Marathon was a great success! On October 17th, 34 golfers spent a beautiful Monday enjoying the greens at Woodhaven Country Club—all while raising funds for recovery! Each golfer pledged to play 100 holes of golf that day and solicited donations to Wellspring for every hole played. The players stayed well-nourished throughout the day with coffee from Heine Brothers Coffee, a delicious breakfast from Zoë’s Kitchen, lunch from Chick-fil-A , and snacks provided by a supporter of Humana’s Account Installation Volunteer Network. And we couldn’t have done it without the eager help of volunteers from Gary Bernstein’s Sport Administration class at UofL and others who volunteered as part of Mayor Fischer’s week of service. Wellspring thanks our sponsors! Bob Haysley, Janet Massey & Family Cutia Brown Robert Hatfield George Rapp Humana AI Volunteer Network ResCare Melissa Routt Jackie Swigart Jeff Yussman Humana & Citizens Union Bank Join Forces at Shelbyville Site Talk about tackling a “Honey Do” list – Wellspring’s house in Shelbyville got theirs done all in a single day! Thanks to a team of volunteers from Humana‘s Account Installation & SPAA Operations Division, “We’re checking off everything on the list,” says Trinity Campisano, the event coordinator. “As part of our annual team building activities, we wanted to do something to benefit the community and we found Wellspring to be the perfect partner!” Having lived in the Shelbyville area, Trinity was especially glad to have an opportunity to bring the benefit of the team’s skills and energy “back home.” The good folks at Citizens Union Bank were delighted to support such a community effort by donating pizza for the hard-working volunteers, which made all of the necessary elements for a successful day come together. Humana's Jeff Layman with CUB's VP Veronica Cantrell-May Humana volunteers off their caps in tribute to the completion of a great project! While some of the Humana volunteers spent the day cutting back overgrown landscaping, weeding, and planting, others mended and stained the deck. Others headed inside to the residents’ apartments to do some painting and cleaning of carpets. By the end of the day the volunteers were exhausted, but the Wellspring residents’ homes were fresh, attractive, and safe – truly “home sweet home!” 4 Generous Grant s Make Board & Training Room a Reality Wellspring’s Holiday Wish List The advantages of moving Wellspring’s administrative staff under one roof are numerous – but chief among them is that we now have the ability to host onsite Board and committee meetings, utilize interns and community service volunteers, provide staff training and educational seminars, and offer skill development classes for our clients and their families. In just the few short months since the move was completed, our new facilities have measurably increased our agency’s effectiveness and efficiency. But furnishing this space presented a budget challenge that Wellspring could not meet without some help. Fortunately, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and the Woman’s Club of Louisville stepped up to meet the need by awarding grant funds to cover the purchase of new highly durable tables and chairs that allow great flexibility in configuration, and can be easily stored. Wellspring Board Member Bob Bordogna (left) and Executive Director Kathy Dobbins (right) receive a grant from General Paul Schulte, a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Board of Trustees We’re excited about the possibilities we now envision, and offer our greatest thanks to these two community organizations for supporting Wellspring’s efforts to make the dream of recovery become a reality for many of the persons we serve. We need a few “Angels” from organizations, companies, groups or individuals to help make the holidays enjoyable and memorable for Wellspring’s clients. There are a variety of ways to help! Holiday Gifts…for Wellspring’s residents. Just 2 gifts per resident (one in the $20-$30 range and one in the $8-$10 range) will make a real difference in someone’s life. To make the shopping quick and easy, we will provide a “Wish List” from each resident, complete with sizes, etc. Holiday Dinner… Several of Wellspring’s houses need sponsors for their holiday dinners. Donations such as Kroger, WalMart, Sam’s Club, ValuMart gift certificates (to purchase meat, fresh produce, perishables, etc.), canned and frozen goods, desserts, napkins, and decorations will help assure that everyone enjoys a special holiday celebration. And Stockings to hang by the chimney with care… Residents always delight in receiving a stocking filled with fruit, nuts, candies, toiletries and other goodies for the holidays. You may adopt one or more of our houses (3 -13 residents each) to supply filled holiday stockings. It’s Easy to be a Wellspring “Angel”– Do it today! Just contact Melissa Kratzer, Development Manager, at (502) 753-1457 or melissa.kratzer@wellspringky.org. There is a limited-time opportunity for donors to benefit themselves as well as Wellspring via the Endow Kentucky Tax Credit. This incentive provides an income tax credit that may be up to 20% of a contribution made in 2011 and 2012 with a maximum credit of $10,000. Parameters are: Donors must be Kentucky residents and pay Kentucky income tax. Gifts must be made through a permanent endowment fund at a community foundation and designated for Wellspring or another Kentucky charity. Donors must apply for the tax credit prior to making the gift; there are 2 application windows per year, and up to $500,000 is available in Kentucky each year. For more information on how the Endow KY Tax Credit can benefit you, please contact The Community Foundation of Louisville at (502) 585-4649; they will be happy to assist in your philanthropic efforts! 5 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, KY Permit No. 1105 wellspring www.wellspringky.org Administrative Center 225 W. Breckinridge Street Telephone: (502) 637-4361 FAX: (502) 637-4490 P.O. Box 1927 Louisville, KY 40201-1927 Officers and Directors Jefferey M. Yussman, Chair Robert P. Bordogna, Vice Chair David W. Miles, Treasurer Cissy Mills, Secretary Meredith Brown Trinity Campisano Paul A. Coomes Dawn Franklin Croft William Friel Gregory A. Mayes Alan K. MacDonald Nancy Neill Margaret Pennington George W. Rapp, Jr. Melissa Routt Jackie Swigart, Ph.D Christina L. Terrell, M.D. Elmore A. “Ack” Willets, III Honorary Lifetime Members Philip P. Ardery, Founding Chair Nancy B. Bell Roberta Fischer Rev. Richard H. Humke Clifford C. Kuhn, M.D. Malcolm R. Mathews, Jr. Bosworth M. Todd, Jr. John I. Trawick Management Team Katharine R. Dobbins, LCSW Executive Director kathy.dobbins@wellspringky.org Robert L. Brodbeck Chief Operating Officer bob.brodbeck@wellspringky.org T. Patrick Rhodes, LCSW Director of Programs patrick.rhodes@wellspringky.org Nancy L. Doctor Development Director nancy.doctor@wellspringky.org Wellspring’s Mission To promote the recovery of persons with mental illness through leadership in the development of quality housing and rehabilitation services. Mayor Greg Fischer Visits Wellspring! Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer has openly expressed his belief that local agencies oftentimes do their work in more effective, efficient ways than traditional service delivery systems. Demonstrating his interest in seeing examples of his tenet firsthand, he recently toured a variety of Wellspring sites. At the David J. Block Center, he saw how clients in acute psychiatric episodes achieve Mayor Fischer, Wellspring Executive Director stabilization and avoid hospitalization. At the Kathy Dobbins, & Board Chairman Jeff Yussman other end of the spectrum, he spent time visiting with a Wellspring participant who had recently moved from a congregate living site into a new apartment and is negotiating the challenges of managing his own housing. A quick stop along the drive allowed him to see the Wellspring Bridge apartments, an Independent Housing site that provides tenants a permanent home base for their journey of recovery. He was also able to see one of Wellspring’s future projects, the Tonini Apartments; this site will provide additional independent housing for twelve residents, and is targeted for completion in 2013. Wrapping up his tour at Wellspring’s new Administrative Center, Mayor Fischer applauded Wellspring’s commitment to an underserved and too often stigmatized population and commended the innovative ways we work to achieve our mission. 6 Wellspring Board Member Paul Coomes and Mayor Fischer at the David J. Block Crisis Stabilization Unit