UPDATED: A Lifeline To Wellbeing, A Lifeline Connections Fundraising Luncheon - 09/15/25

Updated (September 15, 2025, at 4:00 pm): This release has been updated to include information about the Community Partner Award that will be presented at the event.

Lifeline Connections’ annual fundraising luncheon, “A Lifeline To Wellbeing,” will be held Thursday, September 25th, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Royal Oaks Country Club (8917 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA). Supporters will hear inspiring stories of recovery and resilience and learn about the vital services Lifeline Connections provides to help our community thrive. Tickets are $75 per person, and lunch is included.

Ticket purchases and donations support Lifeline Connections’ work in the community to provide life-saving care to individuals experiencing substance use and/or mental health conditions. Given federal and state funding cuts, Lifeline Connections must rely on support from the community now more than ever before. 

Lifeline Connections Board Chair, Brian Barry, shares: “If we are successful in reaching our fundraising goal, we will be able to replace the HVAC system in our Pregnant and Parenting Women’s program, which serves women with substance use conditions who are pregnant or have children under 6 years of age who stay with them during treatment.”

A Lifeline to Wellbeing will feature keynote speaker Jeff Hatch, an Ivy League graduate and retired NFL player, who will share his incredible journey of football injuries, relapse, federal charges, and his road to recovery. Other speakers include the Mayor of the City of Vancouver and the President & CEO of Lifeline Connections, Andrea Brooks, MSW, LSW.

In addition, Lifeline Connections will present the John Cox Community Partner Award to an individual and/or organization who partner with Lifeline Connections to benefit the individuals served by Lifeline Connections.

“By joining us on September 25th, you are taking action to ensure behavioral health treatment and services are available to our community, especially to those at the greatest risk and most in need of a lifeline,” Lifeline Connections President & CEO, Andrea Brooks, emphasizes. “Please join us to learn the impact our mental health and substance use treatment programs have on our families and our community.”

Lifeline Connections is committed to raising awareness, eradicating stigma, and providing treatment for substance use and mental health conditions. In Washington State, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition each year, and 1 in 20 will experience a serious mental health condition. In addition, over 82,000 youth aged 12-17 have been diagnosed with depression¹, and the number of annual opioid-related overdose deaths in Washington has nearly tripled since 2019.

Don’t miss this impactful, informative event! Register today to secure your seat: https://lifelineconnections.org/a-lifeline-to-wellbeing/

To sponsor the event or for more information, email: Development@lifelineconnections.org.

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¹https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/StateFactSheets/WashingtonStateFactSheet.pdf

²https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/washington-tracking-network-wtn/opioids#:~:text=Washington%20experienced%20a%20similar%20trend,2019%20to%201619%20in%202021.

Lifeline Connections Receives Generous Grant To Support The Life-changing Services Offered In Windhaven Veterans Program (WVP) - 09/03/25

Lifeline Connections is honored to announce the award of a generous grant from Boeing to support the life-changing services offered in our Windhaven Veterans Program (WVP), a part of our Healing Animal Partners (HAP) program. These programs provide equine-assisted therapy to veterans, active-duty service members, and other individuals impacted by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), trauma-related symptoms, and other mental health conditions. 

Only about half of service members and veterans with PTSD seek treatment, and a concerning 20-50% withdraw from services due to the distressing nature of exposure-based therapies leaving them to struggle with anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and a severely diminished quality of life. This is precisely why alternative therapy options are needed, and how the WVP helps. The WVP offers a vital alternative treatment option to those who have not benefited from or who may avoid exposure-based therapies. Our program has an astonishing 81% completion rate yielding less withdrawals from treatment and higher satisfaction rates. Participants truly enjoy this form of therapy and want to come back week after week. 

Lifeline Connections sought support from Boeing to offer 20 veterans these life-changing services. Thus far, since receiving their support, we have been able to serve 12 veterans. This program is transformative, offering a safe and effective path to recovery for those who have served our country.

Data from the WVP demonstrates significant positive outcomes, including:

• 46% reduction in irritability

• 43% reduction in detachment 

• 39% reduction in anxiety

• 31% reduction in fatigue

• 19% reduction in pain

• 17% increase in energy levels

Lifeline Connections is incredibly grateful to Boeing for their commitment to supporting those who have sacrificed so much for our nation. Boeing’s generosity is making a tangible difference. Andrea Brooks, Lifeline Connections President and Chief Executive Officer, shares, “Lifeline Connections is dedicated to serving members of our community, including veterans, and is honored to provide access to this innovative and effective therapy. HAP is excited to reach our goal of serving 20 veterans this year in the Windhaven Veterans Program, thanks in large part to the support of Boeing. It takes a community to heal, and that’s what veterans find at Lifeline Connections.”

Lifeline Connection’s Mission Statement: 

Through superior customer service, high quality programs and a well-trained and dedicated staff, we inspire hope and support lifesaving changes for people affected by substance use and mental health conditions.