The first time the Northern Rivers Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team knocked on the Reyes family’s door, no one answered.

That wasn’t unusual. After years of navigating crises alone, emergency rooms, school interventions, sleepless nights, Elena Reyes had learned not to expect much from a knock at the door. Her son Marco,16, had been struggling with serious mental illness for three years. He hadn’t been to school in months. And Elena, working two jobs to keep the lights on, was running out of ways to reach him.

But the Youth ACT team came back. The next day, and the day after that. That’s what we do.

Our team doesn’t wait for families to find their way to an office across town. We go to their homes, their neighborhoods, and their kitchen tables. Team mental health professionals helped Elena understand her son’s diagnosis and support his recovery at home.

Within six months, Marco was back in school and talking about the future for the first time in years. Elena told us: “I didn’t know help like this existed. I didn’t know anyone would actually show up.”

We understand if the world feels chaotic to you right now, too. That’s exactly why we want you to know: we are not going anywhere.

For 197 years, through wars, recessions, and pandemics, we have never closed our doors to the most vulnerable members of our community. Not once. We intend to be here for the next 197 years. But we can only do that with you.

Your gift supports the team that keeps showing up to help families like the Reyeses. A gift of any size tells them that their community has not forgotten them.

The heroes in Marco’s story are people who decided to show up, and kept showing up. Today, you can be that person for someone who needs it most

Proceeds to benefit Northern Rivers Family of Services. A copy of Northern Rivers’ latest financial report may be obtained, or requested, by contacting Northern Rivers Family of Services, 60 Academy Rd, Albany, NY 12208, or the from the NYS Attorney General’s Charity Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10271.