Beacon Tree was founded in 2008 by parents Tom and Diana Leahy who were motivated by their own children’s struggles with clinical depression. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma associated with mental health which can make it hard for children to get the resources they need. For the parents who do get past the stigma, the mental health field can be very hard to navigate. However, with the right guidance and help from agencies like Beacon Tree, mental health can be treated effectively.
“It’s scary because it has no shape, no color. You can’t mend it with a cast, or close it up with a suture. You can’t isolate it under a microscope or see it with a x-ray. It’s a ghost. And it’s a matrix of genetic predisposition, environmental triggers and harmful, even monstrous manifestations. The severity and breadth, from minor attention deficit disorder to severe depression and schizophrenia; from lack of productivity to mass murder and suicide. It’s messy and it’s ugly.”-Founder Tom Leahy
1 in 5 children in the United States suffer from a mental health disorder. A statistic like that can seem daunting, especially if you find yourself as a parent in this situation. Beacon Tree Foundation is dedicated to being an advocate for the family, providing support and financial resources to help children struggling with mental health issues.
IT4Causes has set up Beacon Tree’s Office 365 program and also currently working on their donor management system. In the future we will help them implement even more effective campaign management. For more information on Beacon Tree Foundation and their initiative please visit their website www.BeaconTree.org.