As I sit down to write this, I am struck by the significance of May being Mental Health Awareness Month. It feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect on where we started and just how far we have come in such a short amount of time. At Thaar Care Foundation, our history isn’t just a timeline; it is a testament to what happens when a shared vision meets a resilient community.
It Started in a Classroom
I often think back to January 2016 at Oakland University. Patti and I were sitting in our MA counseling “Career” class, bonding over the fact that we were the “seasoned” voices in the room. I was just beginning my journey, and Patti was completing her tenure. We talked then about the future and how we should collaborate one day to fix the gaps we saw in the system. That conversation became our reality in July 2019. A small team of three, met in a tiny office in Troy and officially established Thaar Care Foundation. We identified a critical need to bridge the gap for those facing significant financial obstacles to therapy. We knew then as we know now that these barriers aren’t just about income; they are the heavy burden of high co-pays, exorbitant deductibles, and the frustrating lack of providers within insurance networks. We started with exactly one client and a single goal: to ensure mental health care was treated as a right, not a luxury.
Weathering the Storm
Our mission was put to the ultimate test in March 2020. We had just held our second fundraiser on a quiet Sunday, right before the world changed. When the state shut down the following week, we didn’t retreat; we pivoted. As telehealth was resurrected to meet the moment, we realized our clients needed a holistic approach to stay stable. We didn’t just provide therapy; we became a lifeline. We relocated to an office/warehouse space to start a food bank, delivered groceries across three counties, and helped pay phone bills and rent for families in crisis. I still remember the storage unit full of returnable cans. We collected them tirelessly until we could return them, eventually raising $3,000 just to keep our operations going while we couldn’t be in the office. That grit defined us.
A Legacy of Growth in 2026
Looking around today, the transformation is staggering.
- In 2019: There were three of us strategizing in a small room with one client.
- In 2026: We have grown to over 20 therapists, an advisory board, three office locations, and powerful partnerships with fellow nonprofits fighting suicide and mental health stigma.
Over the last six years, we have successfully empowered our community by dismantling hurdles to care. By supporting not just the mind, but also the essentials like housing and food sustainability, we’ve helped our clients achieve lasting stability. Our Vision for the Future This vital work is only possible because of you, our donors, our community, and our partners. Your unwavering generosity is what allows us to keep saying “yes” to those in need. As I look ahead, I think about our children. They are our future. We continue to work toward a day where going to therapy is as natural and destigmatized as going to the doctor or the dentist. Thank you for being part of the Thaar Care story. Together, we are ensuring that no one in our community ever has to choose between their financial security and their mental well-being.