SB Mental Wellness Center Fundraising Gala
The Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center (MWC) launched its first gala fundraiser on Saturday, September 14, at the Dos Pueblos Ranch, Goleta. The event, titled One Shining Night, was sold out and drew a wide demographic from Carpinteria through Goleta to support the organization. Due to the location, the Garden Attire dress code brought in the fashion sneakers and designer dresses, a few items from the Ralph Lauren Fall ‘24 collection, and men wearing wool blend designer suiting.
I arrived in time to meet with MWC CEO Annmarie Cameron, her gala Honoree Ann Lippincott, the MWC Director of Development Liat Wasserman, and the MWC Board Co-Chairs Julie Kessler-Solomon and Scott Lochridge. Noting the VIP arrivals for photo ops, I met with the Dos Pueblos Ranch owners Roger and Robin Himowitz, Mayor Randy Rowse, Milly and George Kaufmann of Montecito, the Montecito Association Executive Director Houghton Hyatt and husband Ben Hyatt, Board Member of the SB Women’s Political Action Committee Tish Gainey,andMWC Board Member Ned Emerson.
Following a champagne cocktail reception, we traversed from the gardens to the outdoor dining area. It was refreshing to have celebrity emcee Catherine Remak take the mic and welcome everyone to commence the program. She talked about the increasing awareness of mental health across the film and music industries, providing more incentive for everyone to be comfortable talking about it. The Mental Wellness Center has spent 77 years doing its outreach and programs to help those in need at any level for any period of time, and with no charge for services.
Remak held a Q&A with Dino Ambrosi, a UC Berkley grad who is the founder of Project Reboot, a program that helps students addicted to social media and their mobile phones. He shared about his personal dependence on his phone while at UC Berkley, how it affected his grades, his self-esteem, possible job market placement, and knew he needed to do something. He took this experience to teach other students at school how to transition from using their phones all the time down to three hours a day, addressing issues of attention span. Ambrosi gave a presentation at MWC in 2022 which launched his Project Reboot business internationally. From there it branched out to Reboot Camps with students who went through his program helping other students at many universities. In closing he said, “Screen time is not bad, but it is how we use it, it’s intentional. Parents need to ask their kids what their intention is to use their phones and hold them to it.”
Cameron spoke next, welcoming and thanking the attendees, her staff, Board of Directors, the Himowitzs, and sponsors. She said, “I’ve been working at MWC for over 30 years, and we take people from hope to help, it’s a gift I see every day.”
Kessler-Solomon and Lochridge talked about the honoree, Ann Lippincott. Cameron presented her with an artist sculpted glass award, and said, “We are honored to celebrate Ann for her invaluable efforts over many years in educating young students in our local schools about mental health, and equipping them with the knowledge and language to support their peers and friends in distress. Her work is vital because these youth represent our future, and so their wellness serves as a barometer of our community’s overall well-being.”
Lippincott’s acceptance speech highlighted her personal journey with the MWC in caring for her daughter, and later working there. She emphasized that education about mental health is the best way to inform people, saying, “We developed and teach Mental Health Matters with our volunteer team, and we teach it in elementary schools and high schools. It is important to ask for help early to get better outcomes.”
Next, the well-known auctioneer and former CEO of the SBCC Foundation Geoff Green raised approximately $90,000 with two live auction items and the Ask. The MWC set a fundraising goal of $350,000. For those wishing to donate, see the 411. The proceeds will support Mental Wellness Center’s essential services and programs of direct mental health support and counseling services, as well as group counseling for adults; mental health education geared to youth, families, and adults; the financial support and location for SB’s local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (aka NAMI); and the ownership and management of seven separate sights of safe and affordable housing for adults living with mental illness.
Wasserman shared, “Our vision is a community where all people can live their healthiest lives free of stigmas associated with mental illness, and our programs and services are offered free of charge to all residents. Nearly half of our program staff are bicultural/bilingual, enabling Mental Wellness Center to offer culturally sensitive services in both English and Spanish. Our organization is open to expanding programs and services that best meet the changing needs of our community and demographics.”
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