Educational Endowment

Mental healthcare in America was already inequitable and in short supply before the pandemic and now it is considered to be America’s shadow epidemic. Anxiety, depression and substance use has increased and an alarming number of children and adolescents are showing up in the Emergency Rooms needing mental health attention.

There is an extraordinary sense of loss in many people’s lives. Recently, 1000+ therapists in our country were surveyed and reported they can’t keep up with the demand and they are having to turn away patients, including children who are desperate for support.

One in four providers said suicidal thoughts were
among the top reasons clients were seeking therapy. Over the past several years, suicide has replaced homicide as the second leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States.

Today’s Woman Foundation invited the community to help raise $10,000 to fund an endowment that will continue in perpetuity for local students at Victor Valley College who are pursuing studies as a mental health professional.

How does a college endowment work?

University endowments are comprised of money or other financial assets that are donated to academic institutions. Charitable donations are the primary source of funds for endowments. Endowment funds support the teaching, research, and public service missions of colleges and universities.

A $10,000 endowment that will continue in perpetuity...

Our response to the mental health crisis is to create a $10,000 endowment that will continue in perpetuity for local students at Victor Valley College pursuing studies as mental health professionals.

  • High school students with depression are 2X more likely to drop out than their peers.
  • 161,548 people in California are homeless and 1 in 4 live with a serious mental illness.
  • On average, 1 person in the U.S. dies by suicide every 11 minutes.
  • 7 in 10 youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health condition.

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)