Grants Announced for Year End 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Connor Sheehan Fund Announces Grant Recipients for 2023

Redding, CT - December 21, 2023 - The Connor Sheehan Fund is delighted to announce the recipients of its latest round of grants. NAMI NYC and Ridgebury Riders have each been awarded a $10,000 grant to support their programs that align with the mission of the Connor Fund.

NAMI NYC, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, works tirelessly to provide vital resources, education, and advocacy for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions in the New York City area. With this grant, NAMI NYC will be expanding their “Ending the Silence” program, which helps middle and high school students understand their mental health can make a big difference in their lives. Ending the Silence is provided to schools free if charge, and offers three presentations to choose from: one for middle and high school students, one for their parents/guardians, and one for school faculty/staff. Participants learn the warning signs of mental health conditions, discover strategies to improve mental health, and discuss the importance of open communication about mental health concerns.

Ridgebury Riders is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing therapeutic horsemanship programs for individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. Their unique approach empowers riders to build their strength, confidence, and overall well-being through the transformative power of animal-assisted therapy. The grant received by Ridgebury Riders will enable them to establish a holistic mental health support system tailored to youth and their families, especially caregivers or guardians, with animal-assisted and nature-based therapy as the core therapeutic methods. Hand in hand with the care and guidance of a licensed clinician, the animals, and horses become catalysts and tools for the exploration of healing, nurturing mental health and emotional well-being within a supportive, non-judgmental, and organic environment designed to facilitate recovery and self-affirmation.

"As a part of our ongoing commitment to supporting organizations that make a difference in the mental health wellbeing of our young people, we are thrilled to award these grants to NAMI NYC and Ridgebury Riders," said Dan Sheehan, co-founder and president of The Connor Sheehan Fund. "Both organizations have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to their cause, and we are confident that these funds will further empower them to create meaningful change in the lives of teens, their friends and their families.”

The Connor Sheehan Fund is a public charitable organization that aims to provide support for programs that help families, educators and peers identify mental health issues and substance use disorders among young people through strategic grantmaking. By providing financial resources and raising awareness, they seek to empower these organizations and strengthen the communities they serve.

For more information about The Connor Sheehan Fund and their grant programs, please visit their website at www.connorfund.org.