Geneva Mental Health Board awards $200K to 17 providers

When the Geneva Mental Health 708 Board announced its annual grant awards to nonprofits that serve the community – $200,000 to 17 nonprofits – Fox Valley Hands of Hope in Geneva received a grant of $10,240

“It affirms our place in preventative mental health services with grief support,” Executive Director Jonathan Shively said. “It’s fantastic to have that kind of support from the 708 Board. That helps us keep our services free of charge to our participants and to welcome new participants without needing to navigate dollars and cents for them.”

The Joshua Tree Community serves adults who have mild developmental disabilities with a day program that involves field trips, recreation and volunteering activities.

It will receive a $6,940.

The grant will cover five months of rent at the Kane County Cougars stadium, the nonprofit’s founder Amy Singer of St. Charles said.

During COVID, the program was moved to the stadium – and it has worked out well ever since.

“We are thrilled to be at the baseball stadium,” Singer said. “They are phenomenal with us.”

Christina Kautz presented the annual report of the 708 Board’s grant allocations at the Dec. 2 City Council meeting.

“Geneva is fortunate to have access to high quality organizations that serve individuals at a time when they might be most vulnerable and in need of help to improve their lives – or even save their lives,” Kautz said.

The 708 Board received requests from 17 providers seeking $304,837 – more than what was available to allocate – but still significant to the 1,035 diagnosed residents, and the 1,309 non-diagnosed residents who were served.

“We feel good about what we were able to do,” Kautz said.

The organizations and their allocations are:

• Association for Individual Development, Aurora - $34,330
• Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, Elgin -$32,610
• TriCity Family Services, Geneva - $24,930
• Lazarus House, St. Charles - $18,430
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Elgin and Aurora - $13,715
• Elderday Center, Batavia - $10,500
• Fox Valley Hands of Hope, Geneva - $10,240
• HorsePower Therapeutic Riding, South Elgin - $8,640
• Valley Sheltered Workshop, Batavia - $7,850
• Fox Valley Special Recreation Foundation, Aurora - $7,410
• Suicide Prevention Services, Batavia - $7,220
• The Joshua Tree Community, St. Charles - $6,940
• Anderson Humane, St. Charles Township - $4,245
• DayOne Pact, Geneva - $4,215
• Easterseals DuPage and Fox Valley, Villa Park - $4,075
• Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resource Center, Geneva - $3,075
• Second Act/Scene2, Geneva - $1,575

The board reminds the community about the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which can be reached by calling, texting or chatting to 988, Kautz said.

Board member Eleanor Hamilton said 988 is a fairly new federal program that operates across the country.

“The 988 system identifies where the caller is calling from and they can also talk with the person about where they live and where they are seeking help,” Hamilton said. “They’ll provide a list of resources they can access right there in their community.”