AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT

 2017 Mental Health Champions

The Missouri Mental Health Champions’ Award recognizes an individual living with mental illness, developmental disabilities and in recovery for substance use, who make positive contributions to their community, exemplify commitment and vision, and whose actions have increased the potential for independence in others with similar mental health conditions.

Please join us in congratulating Madison, Cathy and David — the recipients of the 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Award!

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Madison McDowell (Mountain Grove) – Madison’s leadership, dedication and advocacy make her the first youth to receive this award!  After being diagnosed with severe anxiety and deemed “medically fragile” at the age of 10, life changed drastically.  It was no longer just the symptoms of her illness that she battled, but the stigma of being labeled.  She continues to educate herself and speak to peers in terms they can relate and understand.  She has volunteered at the Hope Center in Springfield, served as a presenter at the Real Voices-Real Choices consumer conference, as well as serving as a youth volunteer.  She received the Youth Advocate of the Year Award from Missouri Families 4 Families in 2016, and was nominated for a SAMHSA VOICE Award.  She also worked with the Missouri Department of Mental Health in creating training videos for transitional age youth supported employment.  She has made it her mission to not be silent and to reach out to peers to help them understand.

Cathy Enfield (Independence) – Cathy serves as the President of the Missouri People’s First, National Vice President of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), past Chair of Missouri Protection and Advocacy, and board member of The Arc Missouri and the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council. She is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking.  She is also the recipient of many honors and awards including the Roland Johnson Self-Advocacy Award, Bernece Hobson Meritorious Service Award (Eitas – Jackson County MO SB 40 Board), and the People First of Missouri Self-Advocate of the Year.  In working with her State Representative, legislation passed changing language on parking signs from “handicapped” and “disabled”, to “accessible”.  Cathy has pursued her lifelong goals of helping people with disabilities and speaking out for those that cannot speak for themselves.  She has made those goals a reality against great odds.

David Stoecker (Springfield) – David knows the sky is the limit for people in long-term recovery, which is why he started the #HopeDealer movement. He worked several years with Greene County Treatment Court programs, co-founded the Springfield Recovery Community Center, provides training for the Missouri Recovery Support Specialist Peer Certification Program, and is the founder and Director of Better Life in Recovery.  Additionally, his achievements include Vice Chairman of the Missouri State Advisory Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Planning Committee for the first Missouri Peer Leadership Summit and the Real Voices-Real Choices Conference, Board member for Recovery Coalition of the Ozarks and serves on the Citizen’s Advisory Board for Greene County’s Probation and Parole.  David’s goal is to educate people on the wonders of long-term recovery, give people who are still struggling hope they can achieve long-term recovery, and people in recovery the courage to come forward and be proud of who they have become, while rejoining and making their communities better!

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Lee Woodruff

Author & CBS Contributor

Lee Woodruff knows that life can change in an instant. One minute, you’re a successful freelance writer and businesswoman, mother of four children, and wife of Bob Woodruff, the newly appointed co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight. The next minute, your life turns upside down when your husband is severely wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq. Showing immense courage, Woodruff held her family together. She provided the extra support her children needed, as well as the moral and physical support to her husband during his slow, painstaking recovery. Gaining strength from their own incredible ordeal, Lee and her husband made the decision to help others, founding the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury. Now a best-selling author, Woodruff shares her personal story with audiences, providing them with the wisdom and inspiration she learned along her remarkable, and often difficult, journey.

With her down to earth, compassionate style, Woodruff has penned multiple best-selling books. She and Bob wrote a compelling account of their story titled In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing. In another best-selling book, Perfectly Imperfect – A Life in Progress, Woodruff tackles the universal topics of life – including family, friends and marriage – with heart and humor. Furthermore, her first novel, Those We Love Most, became a New York Times bestseller and won the Washington Irving Book Award. Woodruff is also a contributing reporter for CBS This Morning, commenting on a variety of current events and family-related topics.

A testament to strength and grace during life’s many challenges, Lee Woodruff has not only overcome immense obstacles, but has also continued to excel in her personal and professional life. In Lee’s presentations, she conveys a message of love, healing and an understanding that we’re all fighting our own battle. As a motivational speaker, Lee serves as an inspiration to anyone trying to navigate their own path. Engaging, heartfelt and candid, Lee Woodruff’s dynamic presentations remind audiences of all ages that nothing is stronger than love and hope.

QUILT RAFFLE — A beautiful, queen-size, hand-crafted quilt 

To Purchase Your Raffle Ticket Today for ONLY $5  

CLICK HERE   to purchase your raffle tickets on line using a debit/credit card.

The personalized artwork and positive messages of hope and encouragement on each of the white quilt squares were prepared by individuals living with a mental illness, developmental disability, or in recovery for substance use disorders that attended the 2016 Real Voices-Real Choices consumer conference.

The Missouri Mental Health Foundation is privileged to accept this donation from the Real Choices-Real Voices Conference Planning Committee and conference attendees!  Proceeds will be used to continue the mission of MMHF in battling stigma and discrimination, and raising awareness and public understanding of mental health conditions.  WE ARE TRULY HONORED….and THANK YOU!

 2017 Champions’ Banquet—Silent Auction

The Missouri Mental Health Foundation would like to thank everyone who donated items for the 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Awards Banquet Silent Auction.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE MISSOURI MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION!

The Missouri Mental Health Foundation would like to thank all of our sponsors for the 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Awards Banquet!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

. . .  and have fun doing it!

PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORING OUR

10th Anniversary

MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS’

AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET

IT’S A GREAT FIT
Looking for the opportunity to become a part of one of the biggest, and most inspiring events of the year? Would you like to put your company or organization’s name in front of hundreds of individuals from across the State of Missouri? Do you want to show your employees and the general public your dedication to the community and support for individuals and families living with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and in recovery for substance use disorders?

CONSIDER A SPONSORSHIP for the 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Banquet!

Join us in recognizing and celebrating three individuals, who are the recipients of the State of Missouri – 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Award, as well as the acknowledgement of our prior award recipients! You will hear inspiring stories of persistence and triumph, in the face of daily challenge and adversity.

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE:

• View the Sponsorship Package or DOWNLOAD & PRINT a hard copy of the Sponsorship Form to submit with your payment.

Registration for the 2017 Mental Health Champions’ Awards Banquet has closed.  If you have any questions, please contact the Missouri Mental Health Foundation at (573) 635-9201

SAVE THE DATE

10th Anniversary

MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS’ AWARDS CEREMONY & BANQUET

CLICK HERE to view the “Save the Date” e-card, including information about our keynote speaker, Lee Woodruff!