Wine Dinner Fundraiser Hosted by Jeremy Goldstein

Be sure to set aside the evening of May 21, 2019 for an exciting fundraiser:. Jeremy Goldstein is hosting a fantastic wine dinner, called Mental Illness: You Are Not “A Rhône,” in honor of Jim Finkel. The dinner will run from 6:00-10:00 pm on the Nomad Hotel Roofdeck. Tickets for the event are $5,000 and the dinner will feature an incredible meal designed to pair with some of the best vintages of La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque wines by E. Guigal. The net proceeds go toward Fountain House, a charity that is dedicated to helping people living with serious mental illness.

The Fountain House Story

Fountain House’s roots date back to 1944, when a group of people living with serious mental illness decided to form a support group called “We Are Not Alone.” Unfortunately, mental illness has remained as a serious problem, even in today’s world, and there is still a stigma surrounding it, which is why the group originally founded in 1944 has flourished and grown over the decades.

In 1948, the original group purchased a building on West 47th Street in New York City, one that had a beautiful fountain in the garden. This fountain served as the inspiration for the name Fountain House, which was adopted the year the building was purchased. Over the decades, Fountain House has provided affordable housing and work opportunities, both urban and rural, for people with mental illness.

The help Fountain House gives is critical for people living with mental illness because mental illness is a serious issue, both in the U.S. and around the world. The World Health Organization says that 25% of people throughout the world will suffer from mental illness at some point during their lives. In the U.S.:

• 1 in 5 adults deal with mental illness each year
• 1 in 25 adults live with serious mental illness
• 1 in 5 kids age 13-18 will experience serious mental illness at some point in their life

These numbers are why the work of Fountain House is so important. The mission of Fountain House is simple:

Fountain House is dedicated to the recovery of men and women with mental illness by providing opportunities for our members to live, work, and learn, while contributing their talents through a community of mutual support.

This mission is grounded in helping people with mental illness become contributing members of society and it is at the root of all the work Fountain House does, which includes:

• Running community mental health programs throughout New York City
• Using to research and shared knowledge to develop innovative programs that help people recover from mental illness
• Collaborating with the local and global community to inspire and teach the Fountain House model to international organizations
• Improving perceptions and practices by advocating for people who live with serious mental illness

All of the work done by Fountain House has resulted in immense success for the organization on a local and global scale.

Fountain House Takes on the World of Mental Health

All of Fountain House’s advocacy and work with the international community has been aimed toward ensuring that people living with serious mental illness have the help they need to live a constructive and healthy life. Fountain House initiatives have significantly raised the standard of living for people with mental health issues in New York City and beyond.

An example of the success of Fountain House’s initiatives can be seen in the number of people with mental illness who have found permanent employment. While just 15% of people living with mental illness in the U.S. are employed, the Fountain House Employment program has achieved an impressive employment rate of 42%.

In addition, Fountain House’s Education, Health Care, and Housing initiatives have provided the following milestone successes:

• Just 32% of people living with mental illness in the general population have completed school, but 77% of those supported by Fountain House complete their education.
• Fountain House members experience reduced rates of hospitalization and a 21% decrease in Medicaid costs.
• Fountain House houses 500 people every year and ensures a safe, stable living environment for its members.

All of this work on a local scale is impressive, but Fountain House has recently made a big splash in the international community. In 2018, Fountain House took a huge step in helping people living with mental illness by hosting the first ever mental health conference called Healthier Longer Lives for People with Serious Mental Illness.

The conference was held in partnership with the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Global Mental Health at Columbia University Medical Center, Grand Challenges Canada, and citiesRISE. More than 300 professionals in the mental health industry from over 30 countries attended this ground-breaking conference, highlighting the need for the ongoing funding of Fountain House and the work the charity performs.

How Fountain House Works

Fountain House has a model of operation that has secured its success since its inception in the 1940s. The cornerstone of this model is the community involvement of all its members, which benefits them in a number of ways, including allowing them to:

• Find new friends
• Become more confident
• Improve their self-esteem
• Have a sense of pride in what they accomplish
• Learn new skills
• Achieve educational and employment goals

Community participation is required of every member of Fountain House and they do this through:

• Education
• Membership
• Communications
• Culinary
• Reception
• Horticulture

Employment is a critical factor in helping people with mental illness live independently as contributing members of society. For this reason, Fountain House has a transitional employment program that helps members gain the skills and confidence they need to move into the mainstream workforce. Fountain House supports members throughout the process of applying for jobs at businesses and organizations throughout New York City.

As part of the employment program, Fountain House also operates High Point Farm in Montague, New Jersey. This farm was willed to Fountain House by past Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Karl Keller, and provides members with the opportunity to gain work experience on the farm. Duties include caring for alpacas and growing vegetables, orchard produce, and flowers.

In addition to employment, Fountain House ensures that members have adequate housing. They operate one of the biggest supported housing networks in New York State and 99% of its members have housing. Coupled with housing is the organization’s Health & Wellness program, which provides more than 40,000 meals to members. Partnerships with the YMCA, the Peter B. Lewis and Adam Lewis Wellness Center, and the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Center ensure members can stay fit and healthy.

When it comes to education, Fountain House runs the biggest supported education system for people with mental health in the U.S. Through this program, members can continue their education, regardless of the severity of their illness or education level. Not only that, but Fountain House supports youth ages 13-30 as they integrate with and navigate their community and the world at large.

Fountain House Achievements

The Fountain House model has been replicated on a national and international scale. The model has been adopted in 300 locations across 32 states and in 30 countries worldwide, serving more than 100,000 people who have mental illness. The success of the Fountain House model has garnered the organization many prestigious awards, including the 2014 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

Of course, the most important achievements of Fountain House happen on a daily basis. The significant impact the organization has had on the ground and each and every individual it has helped over the years is the real reward for the hard work they have done. The difference the organization has made has been recognized by many of the most knowledgeable and influential people in the health care industry, such as Dr. Nirav Shah, former New York State Commissioner of Health; Steven Hilton, Chairman, President, and CEO of the Conrad Hilton Foundation; and Loree Sutton, New York City Commissioner of Veterans Affairs.

About Jeremy Goldstein

Jeremy Goldstein has been a member of the fountain House Board of Directors since 2010. He holds a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law, an M.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. cum laude and with distinction from Cornell University. Jeremy is an attorney who currently runs his own firm, Jeremy L. Goldstein & Associates LLC, a boutique law firm that provides guidance to CEOs, management teams, and corporation compensation committees in matters relating to compensation and corporate governance.

In addition to his seat on the Fountain House Board of Directors, Mr. Goldstein is the chairman of the Mergers & Acquisition Subcommittee of the Executive Compensation Committee of the American Bar Association Business Section and he is a speaker and writer on corporate governance and executive compensation issues. The Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500 list Jeremy Goldstein as a leading executive compensation lawyer.

The Wine Dinner in support of Fountain House promises to be one of the top New York City fundraisers of the year. The event will be held from 6:00-10:00 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 on the Roofdeck of the Nomad Hotel, 1170 Broadway Ave., New York City. Tickets are $5,000 each and 100% of the proceeds go to support Fountain House. Come on out and enjoy a sumptuous dinner, along with a premier lineup of E. Guigal’s La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque wine vintages, including 1966, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please email CSLaten@FountainHouse.org or call 212-582-0341 ext. 317.