The Faith-Based Community Forum

     The Faith-Based Community Forum was held on May 23, 2017 to inform faith-based leaders about mental illness and the resources that are available in their area for people needing help with anything related to mental health. Vincent House helped with all parts of the event, from creating the invitations to taking photographs at the event. We are proud of our two members, Randy and Sonya, and our executive director, William, who spoke at the forum. Randy felt his speech was successful because he said, "People got teary-eyed". He liked everyone's testimonies, including Sonya's. He thought there could have been more people attending the event, but there is always next time. The event was organized by the Tampa Bay Health Advisory Board and the Pinellas County Urban League, and included speakers from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), reverends from local churches, and, the keynote speaker, Dr. Qasimah Boston, Florida's director of the Children's Mental Health System Of Care Expansion Implementation Project. She was voted as one of the top 25 women you need to know in 2017 by the Tallahassee Democrat. She is also regarded highly in the religious community. Vincent House is honored to have participated in the entire process.

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

May 12th we had the Vincent House Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.  Our volunteers were honored this morning with a breakfast buffet and a short program about how they help members and staff at Vincent House.  We heard a short poem, a testimonial, and watched an appreciation video, all to thank our volunteers for donating their time and efforts to help members in their Recovery through Work journey. Because of our volunteers, we have been able to transform many lives and continue to be successful at breaking the stigma against mental illness. To view our member made volunteer appreciation video, visit our YouTube channel.

Nutritionists Talk to Vincent House Members

Vincent House had nutritionists from the National University of Health Sciences come in on Monday to talk about the “Anti-inflammatory Diet.” The diet consists of balancing the pH levels in your body. The acids and bases should balance each other out, according to the nutrition students. Milk and grains are supposed to be more acidic and not good for your system. Whereas, vegetables are supposed to be more alkaline and better for your body, as a whole. The nutritionists explained the basics of the diet to Vincent House members and then the members got to ask questions. Overall the presentation went well. The nutritionists have come into Vincent House in the past and are planning to continue to come in once a month to talk about other nutrition topics. We've had this relationship with the National University of Health Sciences for 2 years now. The nutritionists have talked about such topics as diabetes, memory-enhancing foods, and vegetables and the importance of their colors. We appreciate the time that the students put in to help us learn about healthy eating and foods.