The Saratoga County Citizens Committee for
Mental Health (SCCCMH) announced its 2015
Citizen of the Year is Beverly Lazar.
Lazar was recognized for over 30 years of
dedication to serving, promoting and advocating
for the needs of people living with mental
illness, especially children, the committee said.
She is a licensed clinical social worker at
SCMHC. In her current role, she is the supervisor
of the Youth Services team.
In addition to her work at the SCMHC,
Lazar has spearheaded a number of programs
in the community. In 1976, she co-founded,
with Judy Ekman, the Saratoga Task Force
on Child Abuse and Neglect, which is now
the Saratoga Center for the Family. In 1988,
she was coordinator of the Living in Harmony
Festival promoting peace in our community.
In 2004, she founded Youth – Youth Helping
Youth, a foundation that helps young people
learn the art and practice of community volunteering
and philanthropy. She has worked with
disadvantaged youth as part of the World Quilt
Project of the Saratoga Mentoring Program,
and, as a volunteer for the Dance Flurry, she
made it possible for young people to attend who
otherwise could not afford to go.
Lazar served on the boards of the SCCCMH,
the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, and
Children and Nature Saratoga.
The SCCCMH will honor Lazar at its annual
dinner, the SCCCMH Mental Health Matters
Benefit, on May 13 at Longfellows Restaurant,
6-8:30 p.m. The event includes a buffet dinner,
silent auction and raffles. To donate an item
to the silent auction or for more information,
contact event Co-Chair, Leslie Ives at 932-7398.
The SCCCMH is a nonprofit, charitable
organization that distributes grant money to agencies and programs in Saratoga County to
enrich existing programs or expand services
for people living with mental illness. The
SCCCMH also provides affordable educational
opportunities for professionals and consumers,
advocates for improved mental health care and
services, and is committed to increasing public
awareness. For more information about the
SCCCMH, go to www.SCCCMH-Saratoga.org
or contact Peggy Lounsbury, chairwoman, at
583-8371.
Photo Courtesy Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health