Greg Goode, Chair of the Development Committee of the newly created Hamilton Center Foundation Inc., announced the creation of this new not for profit organization at the Hamilton Awards dinner, October 27, 2015.
The announcement was met with anticipation and excitement as it was evident that the Foundation was a culmination of an enormous effort that was years in the making.
“So many people have worked so hard to make this organization a reality – including my father’s initial foresight, Mr. Burks’s enthusiastic support and the Hamilton Center Board of Directors whose belief in this concept truly provided the “foundation” and seed money to form this important initiative.”, Goode stated.
The mission of the Foundation is to strengthen the community by providing consistent and lasting support to Hamilton Center, as it provides the highest quality behavioral healthcare and wellness services in Indiana.
“It is our vision that in the future, the Foundation can provide significant resources to fund services at Hamilton Center,” said Bob Rhodes, Board Chair.
Melvin L. Burks, Hamilton Center’s CEO, was particularly appreciative of all the support of both the Hamilton Center board and the Foundation board volunteers. “The Foundation has the ability to play a vital role in assuring a strong mental health system in our communities,” he said. “I am personally very grateful for the Board’s forethought and tremendous work.”
The Foundation Board, which originally began as an Ad Hoc committee of the Hamilton Center Board of Directors, has been meeting monthly since 2011. The organization’s tax exempt status was received January 2014 but made retroactive to 2012.
The theme of the October 27, 2015 public kickoff event and tag line of the Foundation is Light the Way.
A video was debuted showing local people who have struggled with mental health or addiction issues. The video depicts the critical need for services, the impact on quality of life and clearly represents the theme Lighting the Way.
“I feel particularly honored to be part of the Hamilton Center Foundation,” said Margie Anshutz, the organization’s President/CEO. “All of us can now play a critical role in assuring the continued availability of quality behavioral health services now and forever,” she said.
Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in central and west central Indiana. The organization provides mental health, addiction and employment services to 13,000 consumers a year in a 10 county area. For Further information or to contribute to the Foundation go to www.hamiltoncenterfoundation.org or call (812) 231-8416.