NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties hosts annual gathering

NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties hosted its annual gathering on Aug. 22 at The Connection Event Center in Wooster with catering by Exclusively Yours. There were 175 attendees present including NAMI board members, staff, volunteers, community partners and special guests.

Co-chair of the NAMI Board of Directors Jeannine Snyder talked about the year NAMI has had, growth in program attendance and community events. The board of directors voted in three new members: Cheryl Coblentz, Nicholas Dulaney and Leon Wengerd. These individuals will add to the current board and serve a three-year term.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Robert Hunt, who talked about his family’s journey with mental health and the ways NAMI programs helped.

Awards were given to acknowledge people who have made a lasting impact on the organization.

NAMI Community Service Award

Board co-chair and volunteer Jeannine Snyder was honored with the NAMI Community Service Award. She serves on the fundraising committee to advocate and bring awareness to mental health in the community. She helps in a variety of ways around NAMI.

Ginger Handwerk Service Award

Carolyn Freelon was honored with the Ginger Handwerk Service Award for her continued support of the MOCA House Program. She is an encouraging presence to participants in the program and helps out in the kitchen almost every Friday to cook and serve the lunch meal.

CIT Professional
of the Year

Officer Joshua Timko from the Wooster Police Department was honored with the Wayne Holmes Crisis Intervention TeamProfessional of the Year. In the nomination for Timko, it was said he is a shining example of a CIT officer who is caring and compassionate.

NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties would like to thank all who attended and contributed to making this event a success. The take-home message is that if mental illness impacts your life in any way, you are not alone, and NAMI is here to support you.

Visit www.namiwayneholmes.org.