Author: Felicia Akoh

Last November, Virginia state senator Creigh Deeds was brutally attacked by his son, who suffered from severe mental illness, before his son took his own life.

A year later, Creigh is talking about what life has been like since the attack. Please read it. It is a powerful story that speaks of a father’s pain and the need for better mental health care in this country.

Read it here.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful venue for this year’s Spirit of Georgetown benefit on October 16. Under a soaring tent in the backyard of Deborah Winsor’s home, Georgetowners and supporters of GMC gathered together to honor board member Jocelyn Dyer for her  years of commitment to GMC. Board President Patricia Davies spoke eloquently about Jocelyn’s tenacity as former board president and current chair of the Development Committee. She also passionately described GMC’s mission and our need for funding; the loss of Fannie Mae’s Help the Homeless funds has been hitting many organizations hard, including GMC.

Nearly two hundred people came to show their support, and we cannot thank each and every one of them enough.

If you have pictures from the Spirit that you’d like to share with us, please send them to stephanie@gmcgt.org

If you haven’t already, make sure you RSVP for the Spirit of Georgetown on October 16, 2014! We are honoring Jocelyn Dyer for her longtime commitment to GMC and for her active role on our board.

Please join us and our co-chairs — Sarah Kuhn, Andrew Law, Avery Miller, and Deborah Winsor — for the party that everyone in Georgetown looks forward to every Fall. Deborah Winsor is graciously hosting this year’s Spirit benefit at her lovely home on Dumbarton Street. You won’t want to miss it!

September — a flurry of back-to-school activities, the start of cooler weather, and the release of our Fall Newsletter! You should read it. Here are three reasons why:

1. There’s a thought piece by Gunther, in which he discusses how “we don’t want to make it illegal to be homeless and mentally ill. We want to make it legal to help!”
2. We have shared some really wonderful stories about relapse and recovery, saving lives, and building trust.
3. There are some important announcements regarding changes to our clothing closet, our upcoming events, and how you can help GMC.

Ready to read it? Click on the newsletter to get started:

USA Today has been publishing a series of stories on the treatment of mental illness and homelessness in America and its personal, societal, and monetary costs. Rick Jervis, a reporter for USA Today, visited DC to accompany Gunther on street outreach and learn more about the connection between untreated mental illness and homelessness.

We encourage you all to read this article and learn more.