Why I Donate

My name is Dan Wagner, and I am proud to be an active board member of the Mental Health Association.

My wife, Carolyn, and I have been avid supporters of the MHA for years.  We’ve seen the incredible impact our donations have made in the lives of so many in our community.  It is your donations that build programs that turn adversity into hope. Your support for the MHA helps people like Samara, who found a strong, supportive community of peers who share her passion and help her find wellness:

I’ve been living with paranoid schizophrenia since the age of 12, but wasn’t diagnosed until the age of 19… There was once a time when the voices would harass me all day, every day… but I’m not there anymore. I held on, and things got better. And I know that I owe a lot to that to my art.

After my last hospitalization in 2011, (due to a schizophrenic episode), I picked up my art supplies and began painting again. And I’ve been out of the hospital ever since!

I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to be a part of the Creative Wellness Community [of the Mental Health Association], which gives all artists an outlet to voice their struggles creatively, and I want to thank the Creative Wellness Community for all their support over the years, to me, as well as all the other artists.
—Samara

For many, the stigma and challenges of mental illness are too much to overcome alone. That’s why we’re here. Your donation means people who experience a mental health challenge in our community can get free peer support, guidance, and empowerment.

You can be the face of hope and empowerment for thousands in 2018 by supporting our year end campaign. Please donate today:

Donate

Be Well,

Dan Wagner
Board Member
Mental Health Association of Rochester/Monroe County Inc.