The nonprofit group Community Does It has opened a new mental health facility in Pleasant Grove, thanks, in part, to some funding from Amazon. The nonprofit, which focuses on equitable access to quality public health care, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday at the new facility located within the El Buckner Bazaar.
The center will offer counseling, education, and support for youth and families needing mental health care.
“When you look at some of the statistics about the lack of access to affordable mental health care, particularly in the Hispanic community, there’s some glaring data out there,” Daniel Martin, a spokesperson for Amazon, told NBCDFW.
Martin said the concept of the space will allow Community Does It to push the envelope and innovate in new and creative ways to reach their community.
Amazon donated $50,000 to Dwell With Dignity, a nonprofit designer dedicated to beautifying spaces for underserved families. Dwell With Dignity used the funds to decorate and furnish the mental health center, which was designed with the predominantly Hispanic local community in mind.
“Our amazing designer was able to go through and find pieces of art that really spoke to the population that we are serving, so there’s a lot of beautiful Hispanic art that comes deeply from their culture and their heritage,” said Dwell With Dignity Executive Director Ashley Sharp.
“Look, this is such a great cause; it’s going to have such a positive impact on the local community and no one else is really doing this right now,” said Martin. “The mission was, ‘How can we make a real difference?'”
“I have to cry because I’m so excited for the community,” said Monica Ruiz, a co-founder and volunteer at Community Does It. Ruiz explained that the community needs the facility and that finding mental health resources in Hispanic communities is limited, but says Community Does It will help “bridge the gap.”