Kate Spade Foundation Donated $1M To Mental Health. Here’s What You Can Do.
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“join us in supporting mental health awareness…”
It was a regular promotional email from Kate Spade. The on-brand greeting in all lower case letters and periods of ellipsis, would normally serve as a tactic to casually lure a viewer into buying something.
But for once, this marketing email was not trying to sell me something; the people behind the email server were urging me to help support a good cause in memory of their beloved founder. Even though I never shelled out money to buy a bag with the Kate Spade label plastered on its leather surface, I knew that I could afford to donate my time and ma’aser (a Jewish obligation to give 10% of their income) to a worthy cause.
The Kate Spade Foundation is donating over $1 million dollars to mental health awareness causes, starting with $250,000 to the Crisis Text Line. They also stated that they will match public donations made to the hotline of up to $100,000.
You may be wondering then, where all the Jewish mental health organizations are at. So we’ve got you covered. Below is a list of organizations you can clear your wallet, or your schedule, for:
“Our Mental Health Division is at the forefront of helping all community members maximize their potential to function in all aspects of their daily living through our outstanding Counseling Center and a multi-dimensional resource center.”
2: RELIEF:
“Relief Resources is a non-profit organization whose mission is to guide individuals to the best mental health resources available. At Relief, we recognize that everyone must be treated as an individual, and that everyone deserves to have access to the best available options to meet their specific needs and challenges.”
3: Nefesh:
“NEFESH-International is an interdisciplinary organization of Orthodox Jewish mental health professionals providing leadership and interdisciplinary education in the field of personal, family, and community mental health.”
4: JPSYCH:
“JPSYCH was started by David H. Rosmarin in 2001 as an on-line laboratory to directly investigate the role of Jewish religiousness in psychological wellbeing. Since its inception, JPSYCH has enabled nearly 3000 individuals from across the globe to participate in 10 empirical studies on Jewish spirituality/religion and psychological variables. Data collected from JPSYCH studies has enabled researchers in the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel to better understand the relationships between Judaism and mental health.”
5: The Jewish Education Project:
“Youth Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge.”
Bonnie Azoulay is an intern at the Forward.
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