The Healing Garden ©2008

A Place to Call Home

A Helping Hand

In Our Own Voice

Friends Being Friends

Amber and Pat
(Hike With Hope © 2007)

In a public-private partnership with Loudoun County Mental Health Services , two of our major programs offset housing expenses for Loudoun citizens who are receiving ongoing therapeutic and employment support from Mental Health Services. They are ready to live independently, but cannot afford rental costs in Loudoun. A stable home is a critical component as the individual transitions toward independent living, gainful employment, and the necessary care provided by mental health professionals. A Place to Call Home and A Helping Hand, described below, address this need.

Just as vital are Friends' outreach programs, educating the public about the benefits of good mental health and the challenges of mental illness. We bring expert speakers to Loudoun County, organize, symposia, collaborate with other human services organizations and sponsor In Our Own Voice, a special program presented by people who have experienced and are overcoming threats to their long-term mental health.

A Place to Call Home

Some people facing mental health challenges do not have a door to close out the cold of winter or a window to welcome the breeze of a spring morning. They can't afford a home of their own. Mental health problems directly impact a person's ability to earn enough money to become self-sufficient. The economic challenges of day-to-day living can actually trigger additional stress. which ultimately hinders the progress of recovery.

Friends of Loudoun Mental Health provides supplements to landlords to pay a portion of the monthly rent for individuals receiving therapy from and recommended by Loudoun County Mental Health Services . We live in a fast-paced world. By providing this basic housing necessity for life, we help create safety, comfort, and dignity, allowing these individuals to worry less as they ascend toward a successful, stable existence.

This program currently subsidizes many people in our community. We expect the need for A Place to Call Home assistance to continue to grow as we identify more people who need our support. As a community we can care for our own. We seek your participation and generosity through volunteerism and individual and/or corporate sponsorships.

Make a contribution. Thank you for taking action.

A Helping Hand

Imagine living without a warm shower, heat for a frigid winter night, electricity for laundry or television, and water to flush the toilet. It is both depressing and anxiety-provoking to be without basic utilities. These two emotional responses can trigger negative experiences in the mind of anyone with mental health problems. A Helping Hand provides temporary relief for individuals committed to a mental health recovery program who face critical financial shortages that rob them of their ability to pay for housing and utilities.

In Our Own Voice (IOOV)

Every family, every business, every organization has members who face problems with mental health. All of us can benefit from knowing more about how to maintain mental health and avoid or address mental illness head on. Meet people who have been there - who have experienced the hard days of mental health problems and are now on the path of recovery. In Our Own Voice is a national public awareness program developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness - NAMI. IOOV is sponsored in Loudoun county by Friends of Loudoun Mental Health. Presenters are trained to speak personally about mental health issues to civic, government, educational, faith, community and corporate groups.

There is absolutely no charge for In Our Own Voice, and individuals and groups are encouraged to contact Friends to schedule a presentation. We do, however, accept donations to cover the costs of training and materials for this inspiring program.

Friends Being Friends

Whenever possible, we reach out to people who are receiving support from Loudoun Mental Health Services. We enjoy their company at events that we or they sponsor, and we contribute to their pleasure and progress through donations to Friendship House, Loudoun's rehabilitative club house, by donations of equipment like a large flat-screen HDTV and a greenhouse for year-round expansion of their Healing Garden.

Each individual contribution feeds a collective movement towards greater community possibilities by helping those challenged with mental health difficulties'. Lift up the human spirit and promote recovery by making a donation in support of your belief in helping people recovery their mental health while living in a very challenging world.