Freedom Center news release: Freedom Center and co-founder Will Hall were featured in a special online Forbes magazine article. Freedom Center is a sponsor group in MindFreedom International. Update: Now with Freedom Center news release.
Forbes spotlight Freedom Center’s co-founder Will Hall.
Freedom Center News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 8, 2008
FREEDOM CENTER’S ‘HEALING VOICES’ TOP STORY ON FORBES.COM
‘Lucky 7’ Anniversary Celebration Planned
Media Contacts: Oryx Cohen: 413.561.3269
PJ Moynihan: 413.265.9833
Chaya Grossberg: 917.974.1876
NORTHAMPTON, MA: Forbes, a leading international business magazine, has chosen the Northampton, MA based Freedom Center, an alternative mental health organization run by and for people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, to be featured as their charity of the month in September.
From August 29th through the end of September, Forbes is highlighting the Freedom Center’s work through its website, www.forbes.com.
Included in Forbes’ ‘Philanthropic Pitch’ campaign to support Freedom Center is a five-minute video along with a written story called ‘Healing Voices’ about one of Freedom Center’s Co-Founders, Will Hall. For the first four days of the release, ‘Healing Voices’ was the top rated story on the Forbes website, and it has consistently remained in the top ten since.
To access the ‘Healing Voices’ story and video, you can visit www.freedom-center.org and follow the direct link to Forbes.
To celebrate the honor of being recognized by Forbes, and its seven-year anniversary, Freedom Center will host a special event to screen the video at its ‘Lucky 7 Psychosocial’ party on September 20th at 6 pm, at the World War II Club, 50 Conz St., Northampton, MA.
The celebration will also include a hula-hooping performance by the Noho Hooperstars, live music by ‘Bucket Benny,’ and a dance party hosted by DJ Black Angus until midnight.
Screening of the short film will begin at 7pm. There will be a cash bar, and the event will be catered by the Alternative Food Company.
Suggested donations are $10 at the door, however nobody will be turned away for a lack of funds.
‘Forbes contacted me a few years ago for an article on alternatives to anti-depressant medications,’ said Freedom Center co-founder Will Hall. He said the Forbes editor was so moved by the story of the Freedom Center that the group was chosen for this special fundraising opportunity via the Forbes website.
Local filmmaker PJ Moynihan, of Digital Eyes Film, produced the 5-minute Freedom Center video that appears on the Forbes site.
‘I have a personal connection with the subject matter,’ said Moynihan. ‘This is a tremendous opportunity for the Freedom Center story to begin making its way out into the world as a model for change.’
Mary Clare Higgins, Mayor of the City of Northampton, describes Freedom Center as ‘a valuable option for many of our residents. It is a welcome addition to services available to citizens of our city.’
Freedom Center is currently funded solely by individual donations and small grants, which include monies from Resist, Inc. and the City of Northampton’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).
‘It demonstrates how a small group of dedicated folks can initiate change as well as a whole new way of seeing and doing things,’ says Northampton CDBG Administrator, Michael T. Owens.
Freedom Center is a volunteer, peer-run group that supports informed choice and self-determination regarding medication, other psychiatric treatments, and holistic alternatives. Freedom Center incorporates a Harm Reduction philosophy and supports people’s choices in their own mental health recovery and in their own lives.
Freedom Center offers yoga, acupuncture, writing groups, support groups, educational events and volunteer advocates for rights protection.
Freedom Center is volunteer-run and offers all its services for free. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made to Freedom Center/CHOICES and mailed to P.O. Box 623, Northampton, MA 01061.
Forbes.com is the single largest economic portal on the Internet, with an estimated 15 million visitors per month. Initiated by Forbes Senior Editor, Richard Morais, the Philanthropic Pitch is a unique feature that, each month, promotes a charity in an effort to encourage philanthropic giving. The Freedom Center Philanthropic Pitch will be featured for the month of September, after which it will be archived at Forbes.com.
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For more information see the Freedom Center web site see link in “Related Content” below.