Gregory J. Fleming
Salvatore A. Giunta Lee & Bob Woodruff
MHA-NYC Gala Recognizes
Corporate Leaders Committed to Hiring Veterans
Honoring Longtime
Advocate for Veterans and their Families Gregory J. Fleming,
President, Morgan Stanley Wealth and Investment Management,
and Medal of Honor Recipient Staff Sergeant Salvatore A.
Giunta
ABC News Correspondent
Bob Woodruff, and Lee Woodruff to Host Gala
On October 1, the Mental
Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC) will host its
annual gala, themed “Working for Wellness: Invest in
America’s Veterans,” at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The
benefit will recognize companies committed to supporting of
hundreds of thousands of America’s Armed Forces service
members who have returned to civilian life with significant
reintegration challenges, specifically those related to
mental health and unemployment in hopes that other companies
will follow their leadership example.
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Gregory J. Fleming,
President of Morgan Stanley Wealth and Investment
Management, will be honored for his longtime advocacy
for veterans and their families, and for the company’s
leadership and commitment to employing veterans.
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The event will also pay
tribute to Staff Sergeant Salvatore
A. Giunta, Medal of Honor Recipient, and
the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive
the honor.
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Award winning ABC news
correspondent, Bob
Woodruff and
his wife, Lee
Woodruff, will serve as Masters of Ceremony of the
gala. The Woodruffs are also founders of the Bob
Woodruff Foundation, which works to ensure injured
veterans thrive long after they return home.
“MHA-NYC’s
annual benefit shines the spotlight on pressing mental
health issues while raising funds that allow us to continue
to provide essential services,” said Giselle
Stolper, President and CEO of MHA-NYC. “We know how
important meaningful work is to the emotional wellbeing of
veterans, their families, and their communities. Yet,
getting a job is one of the greatest challenges facing men
and women today as they leave active duty. This is why we
are dedicating our gala to this urgent issue,” she said.
MHA-NYC has long worked in
partnership with veteran service organizations and other key
stakeholders, including the Veterans Administration, to
address the myriad of emotional and social challenges
veterans face after leaving the battlefield. MHA-NYC
operates the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), which has answered
more than 1 million calls since 2007, and established the
Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City, and the
National TBI and Emotional Wellness Alliance. The VCL
provides access to life saving resources for veterans and
the coalitions promote policy and practice changes to
improve access to quality mental health care and supportive
services for veterans and their families.
While a majority of veterans
make the transition smoothly, a large number need help and
support. “Employment is one of the key areas of need for
veterans upon their return, but they need more than just a
job,” said Kimberly
Williams, Vice President of MHA-NYC’s Center for Policy,
Advocacy and Education. “They need broad support to achieve
total wellness for self and family,” she said. Never before
has such a comprehensive vision for our nation’s veterans
captured the interest of so many CEOs and Fortune 500
companies.
MHA-NYC intends to harness
the good will of both the private and public sectors and
commit its expertise and resources to working with other
organizations to launch a groundbreaking initiative to
create a hyper-local coordinated network of services,
supports, and resources for veterans and their families. “By
using advanced technology, our vision is to build supportive
communities for men and women as they transition to their
new home base and seek on-the-ground services in key areas
of need: education, employment, health and emotional
wellness, and family support,” said Gala Dinner Chair Duncan
Niederauer.
More than 400 business
leaders, government officials, veterans, service members,
and their families are expected to attend the event. Dinner
Chairs include Frank
J. Branchini, Chairman and CEO of EmblemHealth; Ric
Clark, Chairman and CEO of Brookfield Property Group; Kevin
Dunleavy, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley; Laurence
D. Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; and Duncan
Niederauer, Former CEO of the NYSE.
Learn more about the event
and ticket purchases at:
www.mhaofnyc.org/gala2014
The Mental
Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC) is
a not-for-profit organization that addresses mental health
needs in New York City and across the nation. Through our
three-part mission of service, advocacy and education, we
identify unmet needs and develop culturally sensitive
programs to improve the lives of individuals and families
impacted by mental illness while promoting the importance of
mental health.
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