Celebrating 10 years of providing mental health services for diverse populations in South Jersey.

Buy the tickets for the Gala here

Hammonton, NJ. While all our communities face mental health challenges, minorities often deal with more stigma and discrimination. Additionally, they have less access to public programs and services due to financial, cultural, or language barriers. To provide mental health services to those who usually don't have access to them, Ivette Guillermo-McGahee, a mental health professional, decided to start Allies in Caring (AIC) 10 years ago.

"Because I provided services in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and Mexican Sign Language, more people requested my support than I could serve; therefore, I decided to create Allies in Caring. I still remember one of my first patients, LT, a deaf youth with a great smile and incredible resourcefulness who had been displaced from his country after genocide and who had been abused and neglected. After receiving the support, he needed, he learned to manage his anger and stay out of trouble. He is now a parent of two, who works hard to support his family," said Ivette Guillermo-McGahee.

Ten years later, Allies is Caring is a thriving nonprofit that provides culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate inclusive mental health services for diverse populations in South Jersey. Nearly 500 individuals benefit weekly from the family interventions.

We also work to build strong communities where they bridge the disparity gaps of care and create an all-inclusive culture where everyone can recognize their power and purpose. AIC has co-initiated two cross-sector coalitions: The Hammonton Health Coalition and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coalition of South Jersey.

You are cordially invited to celebrate our tenth anniversary at the Gala Fundraiser, hosted in collaboration with the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA), at the beautiful Bishop Farmstead Southampton, NJ, on September 9, 2022, at 5:30 pm. Tickets can be bought at https://aic-gala-fundraiser.eventbrite.com

AIC and PPA have worked for years to break down barriers and improve their communities' physical and mental health through joint programs. We share a belief that enjoying natural places and connecting with the natural world is good for everyone's physical and mental health.

You are also invited to Allies in Caring ten years celebration at their Con-Vivir Wellness Center in Hammonton, NJ, on Thursday, September 15, 2022, from 10 am to 7 pm.

For more information about both events, please visit www.alliesincaring.org, call 609-878-2007, or email cramos@alliesincaring.org.

Special thanks to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for becoming a Platinum Sponsor at our Gala Fundraiser.

*Photos courtesy of Jon Bradley