A Passion for Mental Health—Sam Goforth

It all started with a 60 Minutes episode. As well-known local banker Sam Goforth tells it, his aunt, a daughter of the philanthropic Harn family, saw a piece on the mental health crisis facing children in our country. Now mind you, this was almost 15 years ago, long before mental health moved into the forefront of our culture. Of course, this aunt had been serving local causes for years, both volunteering and through philanthropy. A significant gift to the Matheson Museum, to name one, allowed for the hire of the Museum’s first executive director. She was famously private, though, and most often came up with ways to donate anonymously, even keeping the source of that donation from Matheson founder Dr. Mark Barrow.   But it was that 2011 CBS story, plus having had a good friend whose child had struggled for years with mental health issues, that sparked her passion for mental wellness. She turned to her favorite advisors, Sam and Ed Poppell, both serving on the Community Foundation of North Central Florida board, who reached out to the people who understood the issue in our community the best—local law enforcement, local mental health providers and researchers at the University of Florida. With the help of CFNCF, the Mental Wellness Fund was created, with grants provided to The Village Counseling Center that allowed local children who had suffered trauma, along with their families, to receive the specialized care they need for recovery at no cost to them.   From there, the team expanded their reach, and meetings with then-Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Owen Roberts identified a critical need in the schools. With another grant from the Fund, ACPS was able to hire four full-time social workers to assist in four high-needs schools, a first for the county.   And though his aunt passed away in 2022, her passion to serve lives on, says Sam. Over the years, as the Fund has grown, and with the flexibility built into it, Sam and Ed have been able to focus funding where the needs are greatest, for example, providing emergency funding to mental health organizations that lost federal dollars after the pandemic and for mental health services at the Southwest Advocacy Group (SWAG).   That’s where CFNCF’s help has been critical, Sam says. “As our community’s conveners, the CFNCF team has been invaluable in helping us with the research, the decision-making, the financial and legal requirements, all of the pieces required with these types of gifts. And they also make us aware of new opportunities and challenges that, even though we are heavily involved in our community, we might never know about. But they do.”   “It’s easy to give away money,” he adds with a laugh, “but it’s hard to give it away while ensuring it serves its intended purpose. Even into her 90s, my aunt was involved and clear on her intentions. And we feel good that her legacy will continue on, serving the many people and causes she was passionate about.”