Recently, I had the opportunity to attend actress Lili Taylor’s book launch at the Discovery Center in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. There, she shared with the audience what brought her to the wonderful world of birds. On a break from acting, she sought the quiet of the Hudson Valley, where she owned a home and noticed bird songs. She found herself drawn into “a parallel universe,” one that was “full of life and the will to survive” (Turning to Birds, p. 5,...
“Voice and Vision was the launch into all my accomplishments. I can never forget those experiences at Voice and Vision. I genuinely felt heard. I went from feeling so small to feeling bigger and bigger.”
Recently, Ezri, a former College Plus student, met with us to say “thank you” for the role Voice and Vision played in her success. We are grateful to Ezri for allowing us to share her story with all of you.
Ezri struggled as a youth with mental health challenges, repeated...
On Saturday, September 28th, we gathered in the parking lot of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Many residents of Philly and its surrounding suburbs consider it a treasured sanctuary. A chance for an urban dweller to, “go out and touch some grass.” There has been a fair amount of research that shows a correlation between time spent in nature and an overall reduction of stress. Birding happens to be the perfect activity to put that correlation to the test. It grants you the opportunity to...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its establishment in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has brought awareness to the challenges faced by millions of individuals living with mental health conditions and to celebrate recovery. As President Biden (2024) stated, it is also a time “…we recognize the bravery and resilience of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, and we show our gratitude for the dedicated mental health professionals and devoted loved...
May is both Lyme Disease Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. What is the connection? The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 476,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme Disease each year in the US. In 2022, the states with the highest number of Lyme disease cases were New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently alerted individuals, providers, and caregivers that reported Lyme disease cases have increased this spring and...
Thirty years ago, I minored in French as an undergraduate at Temple University. I have been dreaming of visiting France for decades. I decided to pursue an opportunity to lead a workshop at the 2023 World Hearing Voices Congress in Paris. However, I did not know how to fund this endeavor. About the same time my workshop proposal was accepted, a local organization awarded me a scholarship so I could go to Paris in October 2023. The blessing of being able to give a presentation on an...
November is National Gratitude Month. What is the meaning of Thanksgiving, gratitude, or giving thanks in your life? What does it look like for us today? The simple act of giving thanks can easily be overlooked in a world often bustling with the pursuit of progress and success. However, expressing gratitude is a powerful exercise that can benefit our well-being and the relationships we cherish. At its core, giving thanks is about acknowledging the positive aspects of our lives, big or...
Voice and Vision is honored to have impacted the lives of thousands of people in Fiscal Year 22/23 through all our programs, a podcast, Help and Hope Guide, and social media. The impact was accomplished through the work of wonderful employees, board members, volunteers, consultants, partners, funders, and donors. Thank you to everyone who makes our work a success! Let’s celebrate each other as we move into Fiscal Year 23/24.
Here are a few of the highlights from fiscal year 22/23:
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May is a month with over 100 celebrations, some for a day, a week, and some for the month. Here are a few: National Blessing Day, Wordsmith Day, World Hand Hygiene Day, Brain Injury Awareness Week, Deaf Awareness Week, Sign Language Week, National Anxiety Month, National Blood Pressure Month, and Older Americans Month. The 100+ are focused on categories such as awareness, children, culture, education, food, health, history, religion, and more. Two of the many month-long celebrations are...
