Rob and Susan Wilson Mental Health Fund

After several attempts at connecting for an interview with Rob Wilson, we finally settled on Wednesday, September 28. Shortly past 10 a.m., I reached him on his cell phone. He was hunkering down in Naples, Florida as Hurricane Ian hammered the city. When asked what the situation looked like, he said he couldn’t see anything—"I am trying to stay safe in the bathroom— but it sounds like a train is going by—I still have cell phone service so let’s talk.” The same steady, take-it-as-it comes attitude is reflected in everything that Rob does, including in his philanthropy.

Rob, born and raised in Rhode Island, has worked in high tech software sales for much of his career. He was always committed to philanthropic work through his church, mostly with Project Outreach, the largest food pantry in the state of Rhode Island, reaching more than 500 families a month living in and near the Washington Park neighborhood of Providence. Rob served on the board, fundraising however and whenever necessary. This is how he connected with the Rhode Island Foundation—writing grants for Project Outreach. Successful grants as the Foundation supported them for many years.

“My wife and I have had a very blessed life.After meeting with Daniel Kertzner (a senior philanthropic advisor at the Foundation), the question I asked myself was ‘Do I want to do more good in this world?’”

“There are people we need to take care of in our extended family. I have a niece with mental health issues; there has been a lot of trauma in my family. I also have dealt with mental health issues since I was young and felt afraid, alone, abnormal and unable to find help. I want to help those in similar situations as I was in.”

Over the years, Rob has developed an extensive network of friends and acquaintances; he decided to start telling his story, to build awareness, to dispel the stigma of mental health.

In his current job, Rob works with Medicaid members and nonprofit agencies providing care to people with mental health issues and disabilities—he basically sells to health plan companies that confront the social determinants of health. “I love it because it allows me to continue working and still do good philanthropic work. I had become somewhat jaded by the world I was in until I became aware of this company.”

With help from the Rhode Island Foundation, their goal is to make the fund grow and to do whatever they can. “You know somebody like this—you may not know it but you do. I hope I can save just one person who won’t have to go through what I did.”