An endowment to help Hancock County agencies with funding for mental health programs hit a significant milestone.
The Community Mental Health Fund has reached the one-million-dollar mark, which means that The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation will be able to continuously issue at least $45,000 in grants to area agencies for mental health and substance abuse programs every year. Around 5,000 people in the Hancock community sought out help for mental health and substance abuse problems in 2021. Plus, over the past decade, the county has lost hundreds of people to suicide and drug overdoses. So now the fund is available to assist agencies to provide the help others need.
“We like so many others realize that mental health and substance abuse was a concern,” says Brian Treece, Pres. & CEO Findlay-Hancock Co. Community Foundation. “And that there was a gap between the funding available and the funding needed to truly make a difference in this area. So we worked with many community partners to establish this fund, knowing that it will continue to grow as we are able to increase the amount to grant out to nonprofit agencies addressing this need.”
Ann Buis and her late husband Tom started the endowment back in 2013 because of how mental illness affected their family. Now their dream of helping others affected by substance abuse and mental illness has become a reality thanks to the fund hitting one million dollars.
“I am so full of joy because it was a long road when we first began,” says Ann Buis. “I think, the first thing out of his mouth was, at least I am giving a thousand dollars to start some kind of seed money, and of course, it grew exponentially each year, but we are so thrilled.”
A tree will be planted at the Family Center to symbolize the growth of the Community Mental Health Funds for generations to come.
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