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Wellspring Administrative Center 225 W. Breckinridge Street Telephone: (502) 637-4361 Fax: (502) 637-4490
www.wellspringky.org Officers and Directors
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, KY Permit No. 1105
P.O. Box 1927 Louisville, KY 40201-1927
Dawn Croft, Chair Alan MacDonald, Vice Chair Phillip Keller, Treasurer Meredith Brown, Secretary Paul Coomes Rich Freeman Steve Kerrick Rif El-Mallakh, M.D. Margaret Pennington George W. Rapp, Jr. Carrie Schanie Curtiss Scott John “Jack” Trawick Elmore A. “Ack” Willets, III
www.wellspringky.org
Founding Board Chair
Philip P. Ardery (1914 - 2012)
Management Team
Katharine R. Dobbins, LCSW Chief Executive Officer 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
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For an online version visit www.wellspringky.org December 2016
Annual Philanthropists of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Award Presented Wellspring’s 2017 Philanthropist of the Year, Cissy Mills, was applauded as a long-time board member and officer, an active committee member, and long-time donor before joining the board in 2007. Cissy has been a true “connector” on Wellspring’s behalf with local government and the area business community. In spite of her term on the board expiring, Cissy remains an active volunteer and generous Wellspring donor.
Honorary Lifetime Members
Nancy B. Bell (1923 - 2016) Bernard F. Block Barry Bingham, Sr. (1906 - 1988) Roberta Fischer Rev. Richard H. Humke Clifford C. Kuhn, M.D. Malcolm R. Mathews, Jr. (1922 - 2013) Cornelia A. Serpell (1917 - 2011) Jackie Swigart, Ph.D. Bosworth M. Todd, Jr.
235 YE AR S
Our Mission: To promote the recovery of persons with mental illness through leadership in the development of quality housing and rehabililtation services.
love story “Looking back, I think it was there… even as a child,” Kimberly reflects on her mental illness. Growing up, Kim found that alcohol “always seemed to help, if just for a while.” A former flight attendant, Kim married young, and had her daughter soon after. But her illness and alcohol use ravaged that life, and led to a cycle of relationship issues, losses, homelessness, and treatments that couldn’t be sustained. Finally, after an “eye opening” hospitalization, Kim’s sister helped her connect with Wellspring’s Ardery House program, and later, a link to our Journey Supportive Apartments Program. There was a brief Crisis Stabilization Program episode along the way, too – but Kim’s now “doing it all,” she says. Her “meds” are working for the first time ever, she’s living totally sober, and has a job where she’s found respect and made friends. “I’ve lost 25 pounds, and feel great!” she exclaimed. The best thing of all though, is being a part of her family’s life – especially her daughter and granddaughter. “I’m never going to let all this go again – my life is great, and I love it so much. What a Christmas we’ll have this year!” Kim says with a smile that lights up the room. www.wellspringky.org
Ack Willets was named Wellspring’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year. As a Board Member and Annual Derby Preview Party Chairman, Ack’s leadership has advanced Wellspring immeasurably. He was also the driving force behind the development of the agency’s awardwinning logo. Ack actively engages his social network with Wellspring’s mission, using skills he honed at Brown-Forman to Wellspring’s advantage. The Inaugural Corporate Philanthropist of the Year award was bestowed upon Kosair Charities, and accepted by Randy Coe, Kosair Charities President. Their commitment to improving the lives of children has led to supporting Wellspring’s services that restore hope and self-sufficiency, helping children and parents remain together as stronger families.
upward bound Nathaniel’s life has taken a “big upward turn,” since he connected to Wellspring, he says. “There’s people who really care about me; they help me with shopping and keeping my meds straight, my bills paid, and they found me an apartment I really like!” Once all the “stuff ” of daily living had been worked out, Nate decided he’d like a job. So, he connected with Wellspring Works and they helped Nate identify his skills to figure out what kind of job he’d like. Before long, he had a job at the neighborhood Kroger. “It’s close enough for me to walk to work, so I really like that,” Nate shares. “And, the store’s got a nice atmosphere and good folks to work with.” Nate especially likes being a Courtesy Clerk and helping the customers – “it’s nice to hear them say thanks and know I’ve done something good for them,” he beams. Kevin Dixon, Nate’s Personal Care Provider, really enjoys seeing Nate set goals for himself and work to attain them. “Seeing Nate integrate himself back into the community, working, and exploring ways he can grow his skills and find new roles that satisfy him is just what we hope for all or our participants”, Kevin says. “Nate’s figuring it out, and it’s great, helping him find his own way.” supportive housing | affordable housing | crisis stabilization services | supportive employment
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Emerald Expositions Team Transforms Wellspring Apartments
AUTO PARTNERSHIPS If you have an unused car, we can help you skip the hassle of selling it. Via a new partnership with VOA, Wellspring can now accept donations of cars, vans truck, boats, motor homes and motorcycles. It’s easy to do, it’s good for you, and it helps others, too! For more information, contact Nancy Doctor at 753-1453 or via email at: Nancy.Doctor @wellspringky.org.
HOST/HOSTESS GIFTS Looking for the perfect host/hostess gift this holiday season? We have just what you need! Give the hostess with the mostess a “Gift was Made in Your Honor” card from Wellspring. Just contact us for yours!
dandelion & wellspring
Alarmingly, compared to 50 peer cities, Louisville ranks 8th for highest rate of suicides. In the first-ever Bold Moves Against Suicide Summit, the Louisville Health Advisory Board and One Love Louisville brought together thought leaders and community partners with goals to: • Champion “Zero Suicide” as a community goal • Increase community responsibility of eliminating suicides and provide tools and resources to address the issue of suicide • Launch a community coalition to reduce suicide Attendance at the November event indicates that the community is interested in further efforts focusing on suicide reduction and increasing education around the topic. Wellspring is pleased to join in these efforts. Watch for more activities in 2017.
We had a record 29 client holiday wishlists adopted at our event at Dandelion Boutique in November! Wishlist adopters were treated to 20% off at Dandelion as well as delicious refreshments throughout the day! We also gave some fabulous door prizes to lucky wishlist adopters: an ipad, a stocked gift basket from Trader Joe’s and an oversized bottle of wine! Dandelion was a gracious host and a beautiful place to set up shop for the day. We still have wishlists that need to be adopted. Many of our clients will not be able to spend the holidays with family or receive gifts. This program really gives them a lift! If you are interested in adopting a wishlist, contact Kristen at 753-1457 or Kristen.Millwood@wellspringky.org.
regifting
“We take giving back to our community very seriously,” says Emerald Exposition’s Bruce Allar. They picked the Wellspring Apartments for their “Emerald Cares” volunteer day, since it is a “near neighbor” to them. The team righted the parking area posts, cut and pulled months’ worth of weeds, and trimmed up trees and bushes. The property is looking good going into the winter months and will be lovely when spring’s new growth emerges.
wellspring thanksgiving A warm thank you to the Third Lutheran Church for once again hosting our Wellspring Thanksgiving! The gracious people of Third Lutheran ensured that we were all able to share a meal and celebrate each other and the year. We have so much to be thankful for at Wellspring this year. We have witnessed countless client successes and implemented a much-awaited electronic health records system! A heartfelt thank you to our staff, Board of Directors, donors and volunteers. We could not do what we do without the dedication and passion of so many. We are thankful for each and every one of you!
happy holidays! It is always a joy to share stories such as Kim’s and Nate’s. Amongst the nearly 800 individuals and their families Wellspring will touch this year, there are many, many more uplifting and inspiring recovery experiences we could share. Helping men and women find the spark deep inside themselves that leads to awakening hope is a wonder to behold. Seeing clients use that spark to find their way to self-sufficiency and growth is even more rewarding. And witnessing our clients reconnect with family and friends, and form new, productive relationships is, in many ways, the most meaningful experience of all. We see all these things happen daily, and we love sharing stories such as Nate’s and Kim’s, because they wouldn’t happen without YOU. As 2016 draws to a close and we look at the shifts in the landscape likely to occur in the year to come, we know Wellspring needs to be here in our community, as strongly, flexibly and reliably as ever. 2017 marks our 35th year of service and spurs our determination to continue as a leader in providing housing and supportive services for those working to overcome the challenges of mental illness. And we ask for your continued support because we really can’t do it without you! Please help us continue healing lives and healing families; we bet you’ll feel healthier just by making the gift! Kathy Dobbins, CEO
Wellson’s words of Wisdom
Ever wonder what to do with that fuzzy scarf from Aunt Pam or the set of bathroom soaps you just don’t need? Don’t despair – donate them to Wellspring! As you go through your post-holiday season clean up and clean out – remember that our clients could benefit from items you would like to re-gift. Unwanted gift cards are perfect too! Just call 7531457 or email Kristen.Millwood@wellspringky.org. ssdfdfff
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To make a gift: visit our website at www.wellspringky.org - OR - write a check and mail it to Wellspring, PO Box 1927, Louisville, KY 40201 - OR - call 502-753-1457 and let us help you make a donation via credit card.
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