December newsletter

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

Paul A. Coomes, Chair Dawn Franklin Croft, Vice Chair Phillip J. Keller, Treasurer Meredith Brown, Secretary Robert P. Bordogna Rif S. El-Mallakh, MD Rich Freeman William Friel Alan MacDonald Cissy Mills George W. Rapp, Jr. Curtiss Scott Jack Trawick Ack Willets III Jefferey M. Yussman

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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December 2015

babies brighten our holidays

Babies! We’ve welcomed two babies born to participants in our Supportive Housing Program recently. We can’t share names, of course – but we can tell you that both mothers and babies are doing well.

How sweet it will be to see them celebrate their first holiday season together, in the safety of their own homes this year.

There have been challenges for both mothers, of course.

Pregnancies – especially first pregnancies, are tough. But dealing with mental illness while pregnant takes tough to a whole new level.

Honorary Lifetime Members

Nancy B. Bell 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.

Wellspring’s Mission:

To promote the recovery of persons with mental illness through leadership in the development of quality housing and rehabilitation services.

Give LocaL louisville Thanks to All Who Supported Wellspring!

What an amazing day for our community! In just 24 hours the second Give Local Louisville day helped local nonprofits raise over $2,971,000!

To quote Susan Barry, the Community Foundation of Louisville CEO, “It goes to show what is possible when individual citizen philanthropists come together. We turned gifts big and small into major impact in our community.”

Throughout the day, events were held to support local nonprofits, including a rally at 4th Street Live! where Wellspring joined in as130 nonprofits came together to build awareness, show support and encourage others to donate. The highlight of the event was when Patti Swope of the Sam Swope Family Foundation announced that the Foundation would donate $1,000 to each and every of the 362 nonprofits involved.

In total, Wellspring will receive over $11,000 through this very special effort.

Support Wellspring on GIVING TUESDAY, December 1st!

Add in being homeless, lacking family support, or having no income – and the odds may seem insurmountable. But these young mothers are determined. They’ve worked with their Case Manager to develop goals and plans to achieve those goals.

Continued on Page 2.

celebrating 20 years at the CSUs

This past month marked twenty years since Wellspring opened the first CSU for the Seven Counties region: The Frank M. Gaines CSU, now known as the Samuel B. Todd Center. When the state issued an RFP for this brand-new service, we decided to apply - even though in those days, we were a much smaller organization, and all the other applicants were big comprehensive care centers. We had already been providing crisis beds within our Ardery House site, so we had confidence that we could run a quality CSU. Our experience and passion paid off; the state agreed and told us our application was ranked #1 in the state! Continued on Page 2.

Bos Todd Earns National Recognition for Role with Wellspring Wellspring’s Bosworth “Bos” Todd was recently named a Finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. Hundreds of nominations from across the country and around the world were submitted and scrutinized, but only three finalists were selected for this prestigious honor.

“It was a true pleasure facilitating this nomination and seeing Bos selected as a finalist,” says Todd Asset Management’s Bob Bordogna.

Continued on Page 2

supportive housing | affordable housing | crisis stabilization services

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holidays continued Both have resolved that their babies will never spend a night on the street… never go hungry, never be led astray by drugs or alcohol, and never experience the physical and emotional pain their mothers have faced.

celebrating 20 years at the CSUs contined October 5, 1995 was an exciting morning as we swept, cleaned, re-cleaned, and waited for the phone to ring!

Today we have two CSUs, with the addition of the David J. Block Center, and have served around 7,000 adults in crisis. We continue to provide quality services with outstanding staff who are truly committed to providing the best experience possible for our clients in a professional, yet home-like and caring environment.

Aren’t all of those goals that any of us who are parents would wish to achieve? In fact, those are the goals of every participant in Wellspring’s programs.

As we move into the holidays, we wish you and yours all the joys of the season. And we ask that you take a moment and think about making a gift to Wellspring – not only because of the work we do, but because of the joy you can bring to folks who need it so much. We bet you’ll find your own world will brighten a bit, too!

Thank you to everyone who has had a hand in the building and growth of Wellspring’s CSU Program. It is thanks to you that 800 individuals each year can find the support they need in times of crisis. We look forward to what the next twenty years holds for Wellspring.

Bos Todd continued “Bos’ significance and contributions to Wellspring are truly immeasurable; this award shines a light on all the agency has accomplished since its founding in 1982. Additionally, the nomination included his role in founding NARSAD, now known as the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, which has led to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research and treatment for illnesses and disorders of the brain.”

Finalists were selected for their leadership, dedication, contribution, inspiration and impact on a non-profit and the community it serves. In respect to each of those standards, Bos Todd has been proven to be exemplary. Bos has been an integral part of Wellspring for more than 33 years, guiding the agency to become a $4 million+ annual operation that has transformed the lives of more than 7,000 individuals. Wellspring now has over 130 professional and para-professional staff, and will serve over 700 adults with mental illness or experiencing psychiatric crisis this year.

angels and elves stock the shelves At Wellspring, we are always amazed by the generosity of our friends and supporters. Once again we received stacks of donated items for Wellspring clients at the annual Stock the Shelves drive, held for the first time at Primo Oils & Vinegars. Everyone who stopped by enjoyed tea, port and tastings of top-shelf oils and vinegars paired with fruits and cheese.

This year, in addition to the paper goods drive we incorporated a little holiday joy by displaying over 100 client holiday wish lists.

Shoppers could choose a client’s list and make their holiday dreams come true. Fifteen wish lists were adopted at the event! If you would like to adopt one of our remaining 77 clients please get in touch at (502) 753-1457 or check our website at ww.wellspringky.org for details. Many thanks to Jenny Dobbins for spearheading the effort.

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Make a gift to Wellspring on December 1st as part of GIVING TUESDAY

clay & cotton hosts wellspring

darnell finds workplace success “I think having a job is important for my recovery,” says Darnell. “It’s good to have something that adds structure to my days, and I like coming to Frisch’s and working with the others here.” Darnell has been in Wellspring’s Supportive Housing program for nearly eight years; through it he’s learned the skills to live a stable life and felt ready to pursue employment.

“So, I did the Vocational Alternatives Program – and almost immediately I got a job!” He quickly learned the TARC routes and schedules so he could work his assigned schedule, and once he got his uniform, Darnell was ready to go.

“I like the work,” Darnell explains. “It helps me focus, and gives me more self-confidence. And, I’m finally able to save some money for things I need but couldn’t get without a job. That makes me feel really good!”

State Fair victory This summer the Concord program was hard at work on an entry for the 2015 Kentucky State Fair. They brainstormed and decided on the theme of recovery and making progress, entitling their artwork “Bridge to Hope”. Their diligent efforts paid off when their artwork received an Honorable Mention Ribbon.

“I wish I could write enough to describe the experience of watching them collaborating and working together.” said Stephanie Clemmons, Wellspring Art Therapist, “Some things you cannot describe with words.”

Many congratulations for a well deserved recognition!

Just before Clay & Cotton closed their Norton Commons location, they hosted a Wellspring day. Shoppers received a 20% discount on select items, enjoyed cheese and wine and were able to take a private tour of the stunning home and rooftop garden above the shop.

Wellspring received a percentage of sales from the day in addition to a generous donation from owner Margy Taylor. Thank you to all those who stopped by to support Wellspring, we are eternally grateful.

wellspring celebrates recovery It’s not often that the whole Wellspring family gets to come together for a whole afternoon, just to enjoy each others company, but when we do - it’s a party! Thanks to the generosity of dedicated Wellspring donor, we filled the Clifton Center with food, music and activities.

John Gage provided a wonderful backdrop and karaoke filled in the gaps - it turns out we have a treasuretrove of gifted individuals! Clients participated in 5 fun activity stations - from creating a Wellspring thumb-print family tree, to popping balloons for a chance to win a prize. By the end of the day almost everyone went home with something.

The Wellspring Consumer Advisory Council oversaw the event planning and award presentation with Danielle and Ben sharing emcee duties like naturals. Recent CH2 graduate, Tom Davis received the ‘Person in Recovery’ award and Certified Peer Specialist Jan Massey, CPRP was awarded “Outstanding Achievement’.

More than anything else, the time spent together was priceless and we look forward to Thanksgiving when we can come together as a family once more. www.wellspringky.org

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