We Stand Together "WST" Foundation
Donation protected
As many of you know, and to those of you who don't, our community lost one of the most vibrant, intentional, kind-hearted, and well-liked individuals many of us have had the pleasure of knowing to a long endured mental health battle this past March.
Steven Taylor was the all American guy - a family man, good student, budding commercial real estate professional, and a leader on the baseball field from his childhood at NYO through college at Mercer University. He had an unmatched spirit that was contagious to anyone he encountered. Steven never met a stranger, and a stranger never met Steven without a welcoming smile on his face.
Steven’s battle is something that a countless number of people struggle with today. Mental health awareness is a topic that has recently come to the forefront of public conversations, but frankly, is not addressed enough.
With that being said, a group of Steven's friends have come together to form the We Stand Together “WST” Foundation for Mental Health. Our foundation is driven by the goal to improve behavioral medicine research, expand holistic mental health solutions, and raise awareness for mental health.
All proceeds raised from this Go Fund Me will be used to help create the “WST” Foundation, and to help pursue our mission through our partners - The Brain Health department at Emory University and Hilinski’s Hope Foundation. Your donations will directly fund research and initiatives that these organizations have in place based on their first hand knowledge of mental health issues. Please continue to follow our journey through our Instagram page “@wst_foundation” as we work towards our formal 501c(3) non-profit incorporation and tax exempt status, and stay tuned for our first fundraiser event in early 2022!
For more detailed information on the groups we are partnering with, please see below:
- Emory University - Within the Brain Health department at Emory University, we will be working with Dr. Brandon Kitay and the Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care group. Dr. Kitay has previously worked to expand patient access to mental health resources and participated in implementing the first collaborative care model (CoCM) for depression and anxiety management within primary care at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Kitay serves as the Director of Behavioral Health Integration where he will work to implement a similar model throughout the network of Emory Healthcare primary care clinics.
- Hilinski’s Hope Foundation - Hilinski’s Hope Foundation serves as a non-profit organization formed to promote awareness and education of mental health and wellness for student athletes. The Foundation’s mission is to educate, advocate, and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness, while funding programs that provide student-athletes with the tools and resources that support their mental health and wellness. We will be working with Hilinski’s Hope to help expand their reach with high-schools and universities in the southeast.
Link to our Instagram page to follow our journey: https://instagram.com/wst_foundation?utm_medium=copy_link
Co-organizers (8)
Jack Larkin
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
Mark Maggard
Beneficiary
Fletcher Malloy
Co-organizer
Hodges Markwalter
Co-organizer
John Tapp
Co-organizer
Mark Maggard
Co-organizer