Fountain
House, the world’s leading provider of rehabilitation services
for men, women, and young adults living with major mental illness held
its second annual Fall Fête on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
The
event chairs were: Anne and George Baker, Byrdie
Bell, Sarah and Jeremy Goldstein, Katie and Doug Hand,
Clare McKeon, Lil Phillips, Madeleine Potvin, Elizabeth Pyne, Katie Tozer and Kiliaen
Van Rensselaer. The vice chairs were: Kate and Chris
Allen, Silas Anthony, Frank Beane, Alison and George Brokaw, Jennifer and Erik
Oken, Elisabeth Saint-Amand, Frances Schultz, Jud Traphagen, Cathy Wilson and Alison
Woolworth. Sponsors were:
David Yurman, Milly, The Plaza, Pfizer Inc., and AstraZeneca.
The cocktail
reception, sponsored by The Plaza, was held in their elegant Palm Court.
Dinner and dancing followed at The Racquet and Tennis Club. The program
featured a welcome speech by Kenn Dudek, president of Fountain House,
which announced launch of the BringChange2Mind campaign, including a
Public Service Announcement starring Glenn Close and directed by Ron
Howard. Lorna Graev, vice chair of the Fountain House Board of Directors,
spoke about her personal experiences with mental illness, her struggle
to fight the stigma associated with it and her passion for the Fountain
House method of recovery. A very special thanks to Katie
Zorn Hand and
Lil Phillips, founders of the event, for their ardor, courage and dedication
in taking on this mission. The program concluded with a short film, Nora’s
Story, about a young woman and member of Fountain House, with post-traumatic
stress disorder who shared her road back to recovery, for which she credits
Fountain House. Dessert and dancing kicked off the end of the evening.
The success of Fountain House lies in its positive and comprehensive
approach to recovery. It focuses on members’ strengths, abilities,
hopes, and dreams, rather than weaknesses or disabilities. Fountain House
believes that every person with mental illness has the potential to succeed.
For 1,300 people annually, they provide support in finding a home, returning
to school, re-entering the workplace, and re-establishing connections
to family, friends, and the larger community. The Fountain House model
has been replicated in more than 400 locations in 30 countries and 32
states, serving more than 55,000 people with mental illness worldwide.
