Making a difference in the the lives around us.
ACTIONS FROM JUNE 1, 2022 – MAY 31, 2023Fourth Annual Impact Report
Completed the annual competitive grants program and awarded a total of $102,000 to 13 Tampa Bay area non-profit organizations.
Partnered with the Lightning Foundation, Florida Blue, The Positive Coaching Alliance, Tampa Bay Thrives, Directions for Living, and Hillsborough County Public Schools in planning the “Strike the Stigma” mental health symposium for high school students. Approximately 150 students attended this full day event at the Amalie Arena. The keynote speaker was LIVL board member, Ian Lieberman.
Sponsored Mental Health First Aid Instructor training for two additional teen instructors who will work with Directions for Living to continue providing the teen focused course to the students who attended “Strike the Stigma”. 5 classes were taught resulting in 78 certified teens.
In partnership with Directions for Living and the Kate Spade Foundation NY, 45 MHFA classes were conducted this calendar year resulting in approximately 600 adults and teenagers becoming certified as Mental Health First Aiders.
LIVL Director, Stoney Dvornik, attended local and state summits on mental health programming, innovations, and initiatives.
Hosted 4 “Lunch and Learn Webinars” featuring local and nationally recognized mental health experts who spoke on topics such as the roll out of 988 emergency mental health telephone help line, the effects of the mental illness of a loved one on families, the psychiatric aspects of traumatic brain injury, and the state of child mental health post pandemic. This speaker’s series was underwritten by Crown Automotive Charities and the Hawkins Family Foundation.
Hosted an in-person community “salon” conversation that featured LIVL board member Dr. Eric Storch.
Hosted “Reeling in Stigma III” at Dimmitt Chevrolet for approximately 200 guests who interacted with representatives from 11 community partner organizations. Keynote speakers were former Tampa Bay Ray Brandon Gyer, professional extreme snow skier Drew Petersen, and Olympic medalist in swimming Brook Bennett. $90,000 was raised.
Granted a total of $147,900 in the fourth year of grantmaking.
Granted a total of $541,925 over four years.
ACTIONS FROM JUNE 1, 2021 – MAY 31, 2022Third Annual Impact Report
Completed the second annual competitive grants program and awarded a total of $99,250 to 13 Tampa Bay area non-profit organizations.
Funded the publication of teen mental health awareness journals, created by the Cameron H. Gallagher Foundation, (aka SpeakUp 5K Tampa) for distribution in area schools.
Since September 2020, through Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s Mental Health First Aid Initiative and a partnership with Directions for Living, 138 MHFA classes have been conducted, resulting in 1,773 adults becoming certified as Mental Health First Aiders.
Sponsored Mental Health First Aid instructor training for three native Spanish speakers who led 14 in-person adult and youth classes and certified 183 new Spanish speaking First Aiders.
Contracted with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to become a provider for the newest course: teen MHFA. Two Instructors were certified in May to begin offering Mental Health First Aid classes to 15-18 year old’s during the summer of 2022.
Hosted 7 “Lunch and Learn Webinars” featuring local and nationally recognized mental health experts who spoke on topics such as suicidality research, resilience training, the effects of the pandemic on mental health, stigma, trans-magnetic brain stimulation, and the mental health experiences of veterans. This speakers series was underwritten by Humana Healthcare.
Hosted the first in-person community “salon” conversation that featured a speaker with lived experience and a mental health professional.
Members of the Board of Directors participated in two suicide prevention and awareness walks.
The Lawrence H. Dimmitt IV Mental Health Initiative created by Directions for Living, Inc., which includes Spanish and teen MHFA delivered by LIVL Instructors, earned DFL the National Council of Mental Wellbeing’s “Mental Health First Aid Organization of the Year”!
Partnered with the Lightning Foundation, Florida Blue, The Positive Coaching Alliance, Tampa Bay Thrives, and, Hillsborough County Public Schools in planning for the “Strike the Stigma” symposium for high school students.
LIVL Director, Stoney Dvornik, attended national and state summits on mental health programming, innovations and initiatives.
Granted a total of $155,550 in the third year of grantmaking.
Actions from June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2021Second Annual Impact Report
Created an initiative with Community Foundation Tampa Bay and Humana Healthcare to provide Mental Health First Aid training to 3,000 persons in the greater Tampa Bay area over 3 years. Subsequently increased the goal to 5,000 new First Aiders over the same time period.
Recruited candidates and facilitated Mental Health First Aid Instructor training for 20 persons who would facilitate classes within the initiative described above. The new Instructors are certified to teach different offerings of the class: Adult, Youth, and Spanish versions of the Mental Health First Aid curriculum.
Sponsored and named a Love IV Lawrence/ Southeastern Guide Dogs puppy,” Lars.”
The Art of Healing event featured internationally known National Geographic photographer and mountain climber Corey Richards as keynote speaker. Mr. Richards inspired hope for healing and recovery from mental illness as he shared his personal experiences.
Hosted the Second Annual Reeling in Stigma event: “The Art of Healing” which highlighted the work of five organizations that use art therapy to support adults, students, and children with mental health challenges. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the event was presented through Facebook and YouTube Live to an estimated audience of over 600 viewers. The audience choice for the $10,000 grand prize was the University of South Florida’s Breaking Barriers Program; $5,000 awards were given to Directions for Living, Inc., the University of Florida’s Wilmot Gardens/College of Medicine Horticultural Therapy Program, The Red Tent Women’s Initiative, and Metropolitan Ministries.
Conducted 54 Mental Health First Aid classes resulting in 747 persons becoming certified as First Aiders.
Completed the second annual competitive grants program and awarded a total of $83,420 to 9 Tampa Bay area nonprofit organizations.
Provided a student scholarship through Southeastern Guide Dogs to U.S. Army veteran Reynaldo Crespo. “Rey” is from El Paso Texas, served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and graduated from the Southeastern Guide Dogs School with his black Labrador C.W. on February 5, 2021.
Along with the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation, hosted the first LIVL Salon Symposium featuring Dr. Lynnette Averill of Yale University School of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Averill provided a thoughtful discussion regarding the neural fingerprint of suicidal ideation, rapid-acting interventions to treat suicidality, and recent findings regarding response and recovery for suicidal ideation and depression.
Granted a total of $114,420 in the second year of grantmaking.
Actions from May 2019 - May 2020First Annual Impact Report
Activated and empowered our 15-member Board of Directors to guide the foundation
Sponsored Gracepoint Foundation’s annual Stronger Than Stigma event
Sponsored Directions for Living’s Directions University training and provided two speakers for a workshop to help inspire 600 mental health professionals
Established an endowment at the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay
Initiated social media outreach via Facebook and Instagram
Hosted first public event called Reeling in Stigma at USF St. Petersburg, connecting nearly 400 guests with speakers from five organizations working to reduce the stigma of mental health in greater Tampa Bay. The audience choice for the $10,000 Grand Prize was To Write Love On Her Arms; $5,000 awards were given to The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Warrior2Warrior, SpeakUp 5K, and Rogers Behavioral Health.
Hosted Mountainfilm On Tour documentary film program with special guest Will “Akuna” Robinson, an Iraq war veteran who found relief from PTSD through long distance hiking
Sponsored training for 35 individuals to become certified in Mental Health First Aid
Certified our Director, Stoney Dvornik, as a Mental Health First Aid instructor
Initiated an annual grants program through Community Foundation Tampa Bay and granted a total of $44,305 to six organizations
Awarded grants totaling $8,000 for mental health emergency assistance to four local organizations during the Coronavirus pandemic
Granted a grand total of $94,055 in first year of grantmaking (June 2019 – May 2020)