Fall 2022
At Garrett’s Space, we continue to make progress in so many areas. Here are a few of the latest exciting developments.
FUNDRAISING STAR JOINS GARRETT'S SPACE
We are delighted to announce that a stand-out in the fundraising world,Helen Starman, has come aboard to help us plan for a capital campaign to further our vision of creating our residential center. She joins us from Food Gatherers, where she was Chief Development Officer. Prior to that, she was a senior consultant with Richner & Richner, LLC, a strategic fundraising consulting firm. She has thirty years of fundraising and non-profit experience as a development professional, fundraising consultant, social worker, community volunteer, and board member.
A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Helen worked with parents and children in Detroit, Jackson, and Ann Arbor. She has been actively involved with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit, chairing its Mentor program and its Ann Arbor Network. “I am thrilled to join the Garrett’s Space team as fundraising counsel,” Helen said. “As the parent of three young adults, I see the challenges they face every day and the lack of options for support in our community. I am inspired to work with Julie and Scott to achieve the full vision of Garrett’s Space.” Garrett’s Space is truly honored to have someone with Helen’s talents leading our fundraising efforts.
A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT ADAMS,
BOARD MEMBER
We are thrilled to welcome Robert Adams, an Associate Professor of Architecture at the Stamps School of Art and Design and Director of the University of Michigan Initiative on Disability Studies, to the Garrett’s Space board. His research focuses on the interplay between architecture and health promoting environments. He’s been an integral part of our effort to acquire and design our residential center and has focused on developing the site strategy and architect selection process for Garrett’s Space. You can see some of these in this video that he prepared with some of the students. Here, he shares his visions and reflections on the significance of Garrett’s Space.
What made you want to become involved as a board member in Garrett’s Space?
I was impressed with the diverse composition of the board that includes clinical, financial, legal, and political experts and thought I could compliment the team from an architectural and creative perspective. The long- term value proposition for each individual who encounters Garrett’s Space is enormous. I want to be part of this forward-thinking narrative. The mission to focus on young adults is so essential. Young people are falling through the cracks. There’s really nothing like Garrett’s Space in the United States. It isn’t easy to find the right match in an environment where young people can feel safe and cared for at a high level. I feel that at Garrett's Space the door is always open. It provides a program to connect young people and fills a crucial need.
What opportunities do you see with the residential center?
The residential program for Garrett’s Space is an amazing opportunity for social innovation. The physical site for Garrett’s Space will be exquisite and provides a landscape of care where we can develop, prototype, and invent new ways by which we care for each other through the stewardship of the land. I hope the beauty of the site and its architecture captures the imagination of young people, so they can understand that the sun is going to come up tomorrow, and that their life is going to be better than it was when they were feeling depressed or disconnected.
What type of impact do you feel that Garrett’s Space will have?
It is such a pivotal moment for us as a society. As an educator, I see Garrett’s Space as a school, a place we go to be intentional about learning new ways of de-stressing and being well together, so that the long-term benefit of Garrett’s Space is lasting. Garrett’s Space is generating a new type of programmatic infrastructure and I believe the model will be adopted nationally.
Architectural design for Garrett's Space created by Brian Smith, one of Robert Adam's students.
Architectural design for Garrett's Space created by Sai Saran Megha Parimi, one of Robert Adam's students.
NEWS ON THE FUNDRAISER FRONT
Our 24-hour virtual fundraiser, held in September, was a huge success, raising $130,000 for Garrett’s Space including $16,000 through our online auction. Thanks to the dozens of incredible participants who volunteered their time to perform, share inspirational remarks and teach fitness and wellness classes in support of our organization. You can see a highlight reel of the event here or if you prefer to watch the entire 24 hours, you can check out Part I here and Part II here. We also included individual testimonials of some of the more recognizable figures who participated on this page of our website.
We are grateful to the organizations that have raised money for Garrett’s Space over the past few months.
The Ray and Mary Knight Foundation hosted the KnightFest, an evening of dinner and dancing and a golf outing that raised a total of $102,000 for our organization.
Chicks for Charity and Julie and Eric Carrier, who lost their precious son, Cody, to suicide in 2020, raised a total of $7,630 for Garrett’s Space, including through a golf outing at Hilltop Golf Course in Plymouth, MI.
Yoga at the Big House, an event hosted by Kacee Must, founder of Citizen Yoga, generated $2,656. The Oberheide family made Garrett’s Space the beneficiary of the Ives Woods Pumpkin Wall Challenge, donating $10,000 for the many carved pumpkins that supporters brought to the wall and set aglow on Halloween night.
We welcome other organizations and individuals who would like to host a fundraiser on our behalf! Please contact Scott Halpert: scott@garrettsspace.org if this interests you.
GARRETT’S SPACE IN THE NEWS
Julie Halpert, co-founder of Garrett’s Space, was the subject of an episode of the MI Healthy Mind television show. The show, which is focused on wellness, is intended to reduce stigma by creating a safe space for conversations about difficult topics like addiction and mental and physical health issues. Here's a link to the episode, which was produced by Relativity Communications.
Our 24-hour virtual fundraiser was the subject of a piece that ran on NBC affiliate WDIV. You can see it here.
As Giving Tuesday approaches on November 29th, we hope you’ll consider a donation to Garrett’s Space. The onset of the holidays is often a difficult time for our vulnerable young adults. Please consider honoring them today with a gift to our organization. With your support, we can help turn the tide on the suicide epidemic!