ASCEND’s Annual Community Awards & Fundraiser to Kick Off Mental Health Awareness Month

Hudson Falls, NY – ASCEND Mental Wellness is excited to invite the community to our  Annual Community Awards & Fundraiser on Thursday, May 1st, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 5:00  PM at Heritage Hall in the Cool Insuring Arena. The event kicks off Mental Health Awareness  Month with heart, purpose, and powerful stories of impact. 

We are honored to welcome Elizabeth Belair, Youth/Young Adult Recovery Outreach  Engagement Coordinator at Youth Voices Matter – NY, a program of Friends of Recovery – New York, as our guest speaker. Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment  and recovery, combining both professional expertise and personal experience to amplify  young voices and break down the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use. 

During our annual community awards, we will be celebrating people within our communities  who make a difference. During the ceremony, we will be awarding the following awards: The  Dorothea Dix Community Service Award, the Walter P. Reichert Award, and the Amy  Carpenter Scholarship Award.  

The Dorothea Dix Community Service Award was established in 2001 to recognize an  individual or organization not part of the mental health system, but whose efforts have  contributed to improving mental health in our community. Ms. Dix lived in the mid-19th  century and almost single-handedly influenced reforms that drastically changed the cruel  “treatment” of the “insane” during this time. This year’s award will go to the Warren  Washington CARE Center for their unwavering commitment to supporting children who have  experienced trauma. Their compassionate approach during investigative processes and  innovative healing strategies have profoundly enhanced the mental well-being of these  children and their families. 

“This award recognizes the dedication of the W.W.C.C. and MDT members who work 

diligently to serve child victims of abuse and their non-offending families. The purpose of the  C.A.R.E. Center is to provide a comforting atmosphere where a child victim of abuse can be  forensically interviewed in a manner that promotes complete disclosures and has a greater  chance of helping the child heal. We are thankful for this partnership with ASCEND, and we  hope to continue to bridge children and their non-offending family members,” Jamie Perkins,  Outreach and Development Coordinator, Warren Washington CARE Center.  

The Walter P. Reichert Award was established in 1986 and named after the first Board  President of the “Glens Falls Mental Hygiene Association,” now ASCEND Mental Wellness.  This award formally recognizes an individual, group or agency within the local mental health  community that has significantly contributed to the promotion, development and/or  betterment of mental health within Warren and Washington counties. This year’s award will  go to Brenna Lyons, MS a Behavioral Health Clinician at Glens Falls Hospital’s Inpatient  Behavioral Health Unit. Brenna is consistently recognized by the clients we serve and our  team at ASCEND for going above and beyond to ensure positive experiences and outcomes  for those in her care. 

“I just want to say that it’s an honor to be recognized in a field that I am so passionate about  and to share this experience with so many other individuals who are also passionate about  the work we do. It’s inspiring to have the privilege to work alongside people, both  professionals and clients, who work so hard,” Brenna Lyons, MS. 

The Amy Carpenter Memorial Scholarship Award, established in 1989 in honor of a  residential counselor at ASCEND, full tuition is awarded annually to a second-year student  enrolled in Community Mental Health, Human Services or Nursing at SUNY Adirondack. This  year’s scholarship will go to Haylee Mello a second-year nursing major.  

“I realized there are really no words that adequately articulate my feelings or what receiving  this scholarship means. There was this weight lifted off of me when I opened the email saying  I had been awarded the scholarship, and I felt like I could take a breath. One of my biggest  stressors had suddenly been taken off of my plate and there are no words that truly capture  

or describe that feeling. I am incredibly grateful to those who chose me for this honor and I  can’t say thank you enough,” Haylee Mello, nursing student at SUNY Adirondack. 

In addition to this event, we hope that you will join us on the following day, Friday, May 2nd from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM for our Tree of Hope celebration at City Park to add a ribbon or 

message of inspiration or positivity to support mental health. 

Reserve your spot for this event and help break down the barriers around mental health: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ascend-mental-wellness-annual-community-awards-fundraiser tickets-1230362179399? 

ASCEND Mental Wellness – Warren Washington Association for Mental Health is a nonprofit  based in Hudson Falls, NY serving Warren and Washington County. Founded in 1948,  ASCEND’s mission is to encourage and assist individuals in discovering pathways to their  optimal mental health and wellness, while supporting hope and awareness of well-being in  our community. Learn more about ASCEND by visiting www.ascendmw.org