Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a crowd of 300 friends, supporters, board members and staff at our Game Changer Gala. It was an inspiring evening – filled with joy, laughter and powerful stories of recovery. Together, we raised more than $111,000 to help make mental health and substance use treatment, as well as housing services, more accessible for thousands of people across Wyandotte County.
But the Game Changer Gala was about much more than raising money. It was about sharing the vital message that recovery is possible and it happens every day. Over the past 70 years, Wyandot BHN has played a role in thousands of stories of growth and recovery. Far too often, we see people of all ages walk through our doors and you can just tell that their sense of hope has been extinguished. That is when we come alongside them and help them realize their strengths, identify their support system and help them build their resiliency. It is fulfilling to then see them go on to live the life they want to live – thriving at school, finding meaningful employment and enjoying time with their family and friends. Your support helps to provide that promise of a path forward that makes the long journey toward recovery a little easier.
The funds we raised at the Game Changer Gala make more stories like these possible. It means we will have the chance to continue creating hope for those who have lost hope. It means that we will have the chance to help another child and their family find healing. It means that we will be able to help an adult move from homelessness into housing and find happiness again. Your support continues to change lives.
So to everyone who supported the gala – through sponsorship, ticket purchases, donating auction items and other goods and by helping us spread the word – I offer my sincere thanks. Together, we are changing the game for mental health.