TD Charitable Foundation Awards MHA $15,000
(HOLYOKE) March 1, 2022 – A $15,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, will help the Mental Health Association (MHA) expand programming and resources for its Grow, Reimagine, Inspire, Transform (GRIT) program that provides residential rehabilitation for individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ in recovery with substance use and mental health disorders.
“We are very grateful for the TD Charitable Foundation’s generous support that will help us fund community and social engagement initiatives for these individuals as well as help meet some of their personal needs,” said Kimberley Lee, MHA’s Vice President of Resource Development and Branding.
When the Yale Street program opened in March 2019, Lee added that “it was considered the first such residential model in the state for adults who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or queer.”
“It is a population that has frequently faced discrimination and has had limited access to educational and rehabilitation services to support their recovery by staff with cultural competency training,” Lee said. “When people arrive at Yale Street, they are immediately surrounded by a community that understands them and their specific needs on their road to sustained recovery.”
“Too many people across New England struggle with mental health and substance use disorders, particularly members of the LGBTQ2+ community. That’s why working with community organizations like the Mental Health Association and investing in programs like GRIT is so critical to helping people feel more confident about their health and their futures. Thanks to the incredible work of MHA and the support from the TD Charitable Foundation, individuals struggling with mental health and substance use will receive the support and resources they need to have the best chance at a successful recovery,” said Steve Webb, Regional President for Southern New England at TD Bank.
Programming and services offered at Yale Street include recovery-based group therapy, how to cope mindfully with traumatic stress and 24/7 individual support. Weekends may involve outings to area attractions.
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“The TD Charitable Foundation grant will help fund additional outings that allow members to enjoy some of the venues and natural attractions locally,” Lee said. “It will help meet as well the personal needs of members, many of whom arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs, and allow them to select items, such as bedding, for their individual rooms.”
MHA’s GRIT program is licensed by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and includes two homes in Springfield, one for men, ages 18 to 26, beginning recovery that received earlier support from the TD Charitable Foundation.
Based in Springfield, MHA serves more than 1,500 people each, year ages 5 to 90, in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. Individuals supported include the developmentally disabled, those with acquired brain injury, the chronically homeless as well the dual diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders.
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About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $282 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/.
About MHA:
What We Do
MHA (Mental Health Association) helps people live their best life. We provide access to therapies for emotional health and wellness; services for substance use recovery, developmental disabilities and acquired brain injury; services for housing and residential programming, and more. With respect, integrity and compassion, MHA provides each individual served with person-driven programming to foster independence, community engagement, wellness and recovery.
Why We Matter
The youth, adults, seniors and families we serve want the same things in life as anyone: to have friends, work, go to school, have meaningful relationships, express themselves (and be heard), and be accepted in their community for who they are. With our help and resources from a caring community, people can live their potential, in their community, every day.
How We Think
Starting in the 1960s, MHA’s groundbreaking efforts and advocacy helped to transition people away from institutional living to a life in our community. This became a model for the deinstitutionalization movement. Today, our leadership continues to advance awareness of mental health conditions and needs at local, regional and national levels. We drive compassionate care for those challenged by mental health, developmental disabilities, substance use, homelessness, acquired brain injury and more.