11/20/2013 - St. Helena, CA--Addressing some of the most pressing issues of mental health and related stability and productivity implications for a community, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced another phase of Auction Napa Valley funding with investments of nearly $1 million in local nonprofits that support the emotional health and well-being of the Napa County community.
The organizations receiving funding in this phase are Aldea Children & Family Services, Family Service of Napa Valley, Napa Emergency Women's Services (NEWS) and Wolfe Center. Collectively these nonprofits provide services that help at-risk youth and families with challenges of untreated mental illness, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and substance abuse, among other mental and emotional health factors that affect both the individuals suffering from these conditions and the community at large. The agencies serve more than five thousand people and their families in Napa County.
"As a parent who recently lost our son as a result of mental illness, I can truly and painfully say just how precious the resources are that are being offered today by the Napa Valley Vintners to these four most-worthy community organizations," noted Gary Lieberstein, Napa County District Attorney. "Through their own unique resources, each of these organizations offers help and hope to families and individuals in our community in attaining a better and more productive life."
All four organizations funded under this umbrella employ collaborative, inter-agency, multi-faceted approaches to most effectively use resources for integrated outreach and programs. Research shows that this sort of comprehensive coordination provides early detection of mental health challenges and the effective foundation for vulnerable children and families to find solutions to often overwhelming circumstances.
It is more critical than ever for the resources to train teachers, health professionals, and police officers with first-response techniques to have when presented with a mental health crisis. "A community is only as sound as the people in that community that are getting their needs, including their mental health needs, met and some of the national tragedies of this last year have brought this fact to the forefront," said Mark Bontrager, executive director of Aldea Children & Family Services. "We are grateful for funding provided by the NVV that helps us in ongoing frontline efforts to perceive and meet mental and emotional health needs."
Auction Napa Valley is the NVV's annual community fundraiser that for more than 30 years has utilized the worldwide reputation of Napa Valley wines and the scenic beauty of the wine region to raise funds to enhance the health and well-being of the Napa Valley community. To date, the NVV has invested more than $120 million from Auction Napa Valley proceeds in community nonprofits in Napa County. A listing of agencies, their services, clients, grants and related national news stories follows.
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners is the nonprofit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents nearly 500 Napa Valley wineries and is a leader in the worldwide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its extraordinary wines, visit napavintners.com.
Agency | Napa County Residents Served | Auction Funding Amount | Related National News |
---|---|---|---|
Aldea Children & Family Services | More than 1,200, most are children | $500,000 | Reframing the Gun Control Debate: Is Mental Health the Next Focus? CNN Politics, September 20, 2013 |
Family Service of Napa Valley | More than 600, including at least 100 children | $195,000 | Untreated Mental Illness: An Imminent Danger 60 Minutes, September 29, 2013 |
Napa Emergency Women’s Services (NEWS) | Approximately 1,300, including more than 300 children | $100,000 | Protecting Children from Toxic Stress The New York Times, November 3, 2013 |
Wolfe Center | Nearly 1,500 teens received prevention services and another 275 teens received treatment services | $182,000 | Prescription Drug Abuse Up U.S. Teens: Survey U.S. News & World Report, April 23, 2013 |
Contact: Cate Conniff, Communications Manager 707.968.4229 cconniff@napavintners.com