Foundations Support Hope and Recovery for SMH Clients
“Lizette” is 15, having difficulty at home and rebelling in school. “Moira” is a mother of very young children and newly free from an abusive household. “Reginald” just lost his apartment, the one place he could find respite after losing his dishwashing job one month ago. His family is now living on the streets.
These and many other Sound Mental Health clients, often at their most vulnerable, have hope and a chance at recovery in part through the investment made by numerous foundations that support our mission and commitment. SMH, a nonprofit that brought hope, recovery, and a second chance to more than 19,000 individuals, appreciates its foundation partners for the role they play in improving lives. In 2014, the generous investment of these civic organizations, collectively donated $268,500 to SMH. For all they do, SMH acknowledges those foundations that advanced our work in the past year:
The Nesholm Family Foundation: Nine years investing in the work of SMH, The Nesholm Family Foundation has ensured that our Middle School Support Project continues to do high impact work with children struggling in school. Their total investment of $200,000 allowed the unique program to identify troubled students early and provide comprehensive mental health support in real time that enables them to do better at home, in school and in the community. Countless children and families struggling with emotional and mental disturbances, not to mention challenges at home, have benefited from the support of this organization.
The Northwest Children’s Fund: Continuing to back the work SMH does in support of survivors of domestic violence, The NCF again made a gift of $20,000 to SMH in 2014 to enrich and sustain the Children’s Domestic Violence Response Team — a wholly unique partnership between SMH, the South King County YWCA, Domestic Abuse Women’s Network (DAWN), New Beginnings in Seattle and the Eastside Domestic Violence Program. NCF offers grants by invitation only.
RealNetworks Foundation: For the second year, the RealNetworks Foundation recognized the vital importance of the CDVRT program through a $10,000 grant. An investment in this program ensures that children, traumatized by domestic violence, and their surviving parent, have hope at a new beginning where stability is the norm and fulfilling ones promise is a possibility.
One Family Foundation: The One Family Foundation, an 18-year-old charitable organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of women living in poverty, at-risk youth and abused women, stepped up again this year with gift of $10,000 to support our children’s domestic violence programs.
Norcliffe Foundation: A second year supporter, the Norcliffe Foundation, a private non-operating foundation, awarded SMH a grant of $7,500 grant to ensure that we continue to support our community’s most vulnerable.
TJX Foundation: The TJX Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the TJX Company of stores including TJ Maxx and Marshalls, has a primary mission to support programs that provide basic-needs services to disadvantaged children, women and families in communities where they do business. The organization made a gift of $5,000 to SMH’s CDVRT program.
Windermere Foundation: For quarter of a century the Windermere Foundation has donated a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold towards supporting low-income and homeless families in the community. In 2014, building upon their 2013 donation of $500, the foundation presented a gift of $1,000 to the organization for the CDVRT program.
Horizons Foundation: A small, family-run charitable foundation, Horizons Foundation again stepped up in 2014 through another $10,000 gift to support our children’s domestic violence programs. The organization donated $10,000 in 2013.
Lenore Hanauer Foundation: A private foundation, the Lenore Hanauer Foundation increased its donation to SMH from $1,000 in 2013 to $5,000 in 2014 in support of its programs that support veterans with mental health issues.
Tresa Thomas Massiongale, community development officer at Sound Mental Health, expressed appreciation for the generosity of these organizations and the importance of their investment in SMH’s mission.
“SMH is committed to addressing some very serious mental health issues in our community that very few organizations will take on,” she said. “The investment these foundations make in our social enterprise will pay dividends for the youth, families and individuals who are at critical junctures in their lives. These organizations allow us to offer hope for recovery and betters lives and for that, we are appreciative.”