SAFE Coalition Plans Gala in Early May

Franklin area nonprofit SAFE Coalition is preparing for their 2024 spring gala event, to be held at Lakeview Pavilion in Foxboro on May 1. The event will bring together community members interested in celebrating SAFE’s growth and impact over the last year and joining its mission in the year ahead.

Founded in 2015, SAFE works to allay the effects of substance use disorder and mental health concerns for local residents. They offer individual and family support groups, counseling services, and peer programs. They also maintain community services like a diaper and car seat bank, medication take-back, Narcan training, CPR training and more. CEO and co-founder Jen Levine says the work is rooted in being able to respond adaptively to the needs of the community, “Our goal is to build networks of care, foster whole-person healing, and form fuller responses to the determinants of substance use and mental illness,” Levine says.

Former Patriots outside linebacker and local resident Rob Ninkovich will be this year’s honored speaker. Ninkovich consistently uses his public platform to emphasize the importance of mental health and youth wellness, including speaking events, podcast appearances, and a video series on mental health awareness for Optum Health.

“Rob is an active, engaged member of our community,” says SAFE board member Lindsay Semas. “Whenever a community member, especially one with an amplified voice, invests in causes aligned to SAFE’s mission, it is a win.”

The gala will include messages from SAFE’s co-founders and board members. It will also host live and silent auctions with all proceeds from the event going to SAFE’s nonprofit work.

SAFE has seen a sharp increase in engagement over the last year, with call volume quadrupling from 2022 to 2023. Levine credits a rising awareness of SAFE’s work in the community along with the rising prevalence of key issues. "We know that the need for mental health and substance use resources–especially for teens and families–are at an all-time high,” Levine says. “We are so thankful that our community trusts us at SAFE to walk with them through this chapter of their lives.”

With SAFE’s scale growing, this year’s gala is a celebration of advancement and impact. “The scale of this gala is five times larger than last year’s,” says Semas. “It's a testament to the journey of our organization. Ongoing investment by community members and businesses is what is needed to keep support in place. It’s a joint investment and growth equation."

Ticket sales are now open and can be purchased on SAFE’s website.

SAFE is still looking for more sponsors for the gala event. If you would like to discuss working with SAFE or sponsoring the event, please email info@safecoalitionma.org