One of the best things about creating Donor Recognition Art is that we get to meet and support people who are doing amazing things in the world.
Our chief installer, Charly Rinn, and I just got back from installing a Donor Wall at Amberwing, a new mental health and chemical dependency treatment center for children and teens in a beautiful wooded area of Duluth, MN. It is scheduled to open this fall.
Amberwing is a special project by the wonderful people at the Miller-Dwan Foundation of Duluth. It is rooted in the principles that mental illness is treatable, suicide is preventable, and lives can be transformed with the right help at the right time.
The facility will provide intensive treatment using evidence-based practices as well as innovative, holistic care. It will also provide support, education and assistance to parents, caregivers and the community.
There is a huge need for this kind of project. One of the teens quoted on the Miller-Dwan Foundation website put it eloquently:
"A lot of people don't know how to get the help they need — or where to turn for help. There's a world that kids experience that isn't just about 'cheering up.' There's a lot more behind depression. People need the help, but they're so ashamed of it."
--Betsy Johnson, 17, Duluth
An Amberwing is a tiny golden-winged dragonfly. As the foundation explains, “Among the most ancient of living creatures, the dragonfly connotes themes of transformation, emergence and flight. Much like a child, the Amberwing dragonfly experiences a metamorphosis as it matures, emerging from the water and taking flight. Its bright colors take time to develop, reflecting the idea that with maturity, our own true colors come forth.
“Even with two damaged wings, the Amberwing can fly. A visual symbol for strength, resilience and light, the Amberwing dragonfly helps us see through illusions and allow our own light to shine forth.”
This is the second Donor Wall we have created for Miller-Dwan. The first was unveiled in 2007 at their Solvay Hospice House, the only residential hospice in Minnesota north of the Twin Cities.
I am proud and touched to be able to support Miller-Dwan in all of their heartfelt projects.