As we continue to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, we took the opportunity to attend a powerful event right in our local community. Managing Mental Health Matters was a gathering in Belle Glade, Florida to support and connect Western Palm Beach and surrounding areas. Hosting the event was Refuse to Sink: an organization founded to raise awareness, reduce mental health discrimination, and expand access to mental health and suicide prevention resources, especially in rural Florida. Another sponsor was People of Purpose: a community-based organization established to help returning citizens build self-sustaining, successful lives of purpose. As well as Healthier Glades, who assist residents in coping with life stressors and to create a sense of mental well-being that will impact the Glades communities.
Joining us in the audience was a wonderful community of first responders, mental health professionals, guidance counselors, spiritual leaders, community leaders, professors, and more. The room was filled with those committed to healing, supporting, and strengthening the well-being of others. The way in which our host and sponsors came together to create something larger than themselves set the tone for an afternoon of meaningful collaboration. Everyone in the room understood we are better, and serve our communities better, when we are all united together.
Shaking hands and exchanging introductions is expected at most conference events. But there was a certain level of authenticity attached to the smiles of each person we came in contact with. Our guest speaker, Reggie D. Ford, asked every person or organization representative to introduce themselves and explain why they had attended. This emphasized the strong desire to build relationships and opportunities from every member of the room. But it also showcased the level of humility from a person whose job it was to stand on stage and inspire us with his talk. At the end of the day, Reggie found a way to make it feel like he was always speaking with us, and managed to be a part of our group and the highlight of a love filled afternoon of hope.
Reggie D. Ford is a business entrepreneur turned mental health advocate and speaker. He shared a powerful story of being a first-generation college graduate from Vanderbilt University and then turning that success into founding RoseCrete Wealth Management. He’s also a bestselling author, with his book Perseverance Through Severe Dysfunction receiving high praise. While he attributes much of his success to his story of resilience, he acknowledges that it comes at a price and the trauma still remains no matter how much success you achieve. Despite these challenges, he transformed his pain into purpose, using his experiences to help others enduring their own challenges. His vulnerability and passion left us all in awe.
As we left the event, there was a quiet warmth that lingered. A sense that something meaningful had just taken place and it birthed many opportunities moving forward. It became more than just a gathering, but a reminder of the power of community, storytelling, and shared mission making us proud to be a part of this inspiring group of advocates in South Florida.
