MHA Annual Meeting and Awards
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2022 Honorees
Jim A. Lagarde Individual Service Award - Everett Cox
Everett Cox served in the U. S. Army from 1966-1969. He served in Vietnam in 1969 with the 245th Surveillance Airplane Company at Marble Mt. Airbase and was an aerial camera specialist. Mr. Cox has worked most of my life as a laborer. He lived and worked for 7 years at New Experimental College in Denmark and did 7 years of volunteer work with the Association of World Education, a Non-Government Organization at the United Nations in New York trying to implement a global minimum wage. He is the father of a son.
Following his military service, he experienced depression and suicidal ideations which are often affiliated with Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress resulting from combat service. He can pinpoint the beginning of these feelings after a rocket attack and the survivor’s guilt he experienced for not being able to help others in his unit.
He carried this guilt and depression for several years until he attended a retreat at Omega Institute where he met Claude Anshin Thomas, a helicopter gunner in Vietnam who became a Buddhist Monk. Anshin gave Everett the tools he needed to make peace with his past.
Since then, Everett has become a peer mentor and advocate for the veterans he serves under the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Mentoring and Support Program, commonly known as Vet2Vet. His lived experience and calming demeanor enable him to connect directly and immediately with veterans who are in crisis or without hope. Last year, Everett resumed his service to the program as a Volunteer.
His lived experience has brought him the wisdom, knowledge and ability to creatively express himself in many forms including poetry with Veteran Voices, dance with the Exit 12 Dance Company, acting in the movie, This Is Not A War Story and many more. He has shared his love for creativity and expression by leading many veterans in creative writing workshops.
To this day, Everett continues his contribution and commitment to the veteran community through volunteerism and community service. We hereby take this opportunity to thank him, not only for what he has done for the veteran community, but for what he surely will do in the future.
Thank you, Everett. We are honored to be your clients, coworkers, and community affiliates. A few of us are fortunate enough to call you “friend”. With sincerity and appreciation, Thank You.
Jim A Lagarde Community Service Award - Salvation Army Newburgh Corp.
We are thrilled to present The Salvation Army (Newburgh Corp) Jim A Lagarde Award for Community Service. This nomination recognizes the exceptional commitment and dedication of The Salvation Army to serving the community and supporting MHA's mission and values.
Over the past 10 years, The Salvation Army has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to supporting MHA's programs and participants, providing vital donations of clothing, toiletries, covid kits, and food to Hudson House. These donations have been instrumental in meeting the basic needs of participants struggling with poverty and food insecurity.
Since January 2022, The Salvation Army has taken their support to the next level by providing Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack to Hudson House members and staff five days a week. These nutritious meals have significantly cut down on the cost of purchasing food for the program, allowing MHA to direct more resources towards supporting participants' mental health and wellness.
In addition to their generous food donations, The Salvation Army has also opened their doors to Hudson House participants, offering them valuable volunteer work and employment opportunities through their food pantry, soup kitchen, and fund-raising Kettle's efforts. This support has not only provided valuable vocational skills and work experience to Hudson House participants, but it has also taught them the importance of giving back to their community and has instilled a deep sense of hope and gratitude.
Overall, The Salvation Army's outstanding commitment to serving the community, supporting MHA's programs and values, and providing life-changing opportunities to Hudson House participants makes them a highly deserving candidate for the Jim A Lagarde Award. We are thrilled to recognize their outstanding contributions and look forward to continuing to work together to support the mental health and well-being of our community.
Elizabeth Verboys - Individual Community Service Award
The Mental Health Association in Orange County is proud to announce Elizabeth Verboys as the Individual Community Service Honoree of the Year for 2022. Elizabeth is an exceptional young woman who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of young survivors of sexual assault.
As a Girl Scout from Warwick Troop 733, Elizabeth took on the challenge of completing her gold award, the highest award in girl scouting. She partnered with the Orange County Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy Program (SAPA) to create self-care wellness bags for survivors who present at a police station following a sexual assault. These bags contain motivational quotes, local resources, and sensory and fidget items to help ease anxiety and stress during the reporting process. With approximately one hundred bags created and distributed to SART participating Police Departments in Orange County, Elizabeth has made a tangible impact on the lives of survivors.
In addition to her work on the self-care wellness bags, Elizabeth is creating a children's story that explains consent, body autonomy, and how children can speak up if something is happening to them. All proceeds from her book will be used to purchase supplies to continue creating self-care bags for survivors. She is also learning American Sign Language to ensure that her book is accessible to children with developmental and hearing disabilities.
Elizabeth's advocacy for survivors extends beyond her individual projects. She is a strong advocate for survivors through her social media presence, her local television interviews, and her commitment to speaking at local awareness events. Through her individual fundraising efforts and bag development, Elizabeth is providing crucial support to victims of sexual assault and other crimes.
Elizabeth's partnership with SAPA embodies the mission and purpose adopted by the Mental Health Association in Orange County to promote the positive mental health and emotional well-being of Orange County residents who find themselves as survivors of sexual assault. Her work towards prevention, accessibility, and support for survivors is truly inspiring and deserving of recognition. Congratulations to Elizabeth Verboys, the Community Service Nominee of the Year for 2022!
Community Service Award - Turnbull Drilling Well Drilling and Pump Services
Mental Health Association is indebted to Turnbull Well and Drilling Pump Service for providing this outstanding pro bono service! Turnbull helped a WWII Veteran who was without water for months. They ended up running a new 220V service line from the street to his home, replacing his pump and doing a massive amount of work to get his water service restored… and not one penny was charged to the veteran or Vet2Vet. There is a whole back story to this incident which included a well-intentioned neighbor who tried to fix the problem, the Deer Park Police doing a wellness check which resulted in contact with Vet2Vet, and our outreach to Turnbull to see if they were willing to help, which of course they did, far and beyond any expectation I could have dreamed of. This was work that would normally cost thousands of dollars, which this veteran could not afford.
Become a Sponsor!
Our annual meeting brings together mental health professionals, advocates, and stakeholders to discuss important issues related to mental health and share best practices for improving access to care and support. As a sponsor, your organization will have the opportunity to showcase its commitment to mental health and wellness and demonstrate its support for our mission.
As a sponsor, your organization will have the opportunity to showcase its commitment to mental health and wellness and demonstrate its support for our mission. Your contribution will help us to provide high-quality programming and ensure that our event reaches a wide audience.
There are a variety of sponsorship levels available, each with its own benefits and recognition opportunities. Sponsorship packages range from $125 to $2,500. Some of the benefits of sponsorship include:
- Prominent recognition on event materials, including the program, website, and signage
- Acknowledgement by the Executive Director during the event opening or closing session
- Recognition in event press releases and social media posts
To become a sponsor, simply choose your desired sponsorship level and complete the online sponsorship form. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us at events@mhaorangny.com
Thank you for your support of mental health and wellness, and we look forward to partnering with you to make this year's annual meeting a success!
Sponsorship Levels and Benefits
Community Builder $2,500
- Full page ad in the annual journal which will be published electronically and distributed to all attendees (300 dpi min.)
- Your Company Logo will be featured on our “Corporate Sponsors” page of MHA’s Website as a Community Builder.. (Size 250x150 px or less) (300 dpi min.)
- Your company logo will be featured on a running banner on the home page of the MHA Website.
- Your logo can be linked to your company website on both the MHA website and electronic journal.
- Featured on our social media.
Agent of Change Sponsor $1,000
- Full page ad in the annual journal which will be published electronically and distributed to all attendees (1200 dpi min.)
- Your Company Logo will be featured on our “Corporate Sponsors” page of MHA’s Website as an Agent of Change. (Size 250x150 px or less) (300 dpi min.)
- Your logo can be linked to your company website on both the MHA website and electronic journal.
- Featured on our social media.
Advocate Sponsorship $500
- Full page ad in the annual journal which will be published electronically and distributed to all attendees (1200 dpi min)
- Your Organization’s Name and Logo will be listed on “Corporate Sponsors” page of MHA’s Website as an Advocate. (size 160x160 px or less) (300 dpi min.)
- Your logo can be linked to your company website on both the MHA website and electronic journal
Supporter Sponsorship $250
- 1/2 page ad in the annual journal which will be published electronically and distributed to all attendees (1200 dpi min)
- Your Organization’s Name and Logo will be listed on “Corporate Sponsors” page of MHA’s Website as a Supporter. (size 160x160 px or less) (300 dpi min.)
- Your logo can be linked to your company website on both the MHA website and electronic journal
Ally Sponsorship $125
- 1/4 page ad in the annual journal which will be published electronically and distributed to all attendees (1200 dpi min)
- Your ad can be linked to your company website in electronic journal
- Your Organization’s Name and Logo will be listed on “Corporate Sponsors” page of MHA’s Website as an Ally. (size 160x160 px or less) (300 dpi min.)
