Family Service Agency Celebrates Field of Hope - Recognizes Senator Anthony Portantino and City Manager Justin Hess with the Mary Alice O’Connor Vision Award
Sacramento, California – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) and Burbank City Manager Justin Hess were recognized over the weekend by Family Service Agency of Burbank with the Mary Alice O’Connor Vision Award. Mary Alice O’Connor was known as the “Fairy Godmother of Burbank.” She started her volunteer service during the Second World War and continued as a community leader for 65 years. During the 1950s, Ms. O’Connor started the Family Service Agency of Burbank to combat issues of mental health and domestic abuse during an era when these concerns were often left in the shadows. She was an innovator whose courage and wisdom called on us all to come together as one community and strive for collective excellence. To honor her legacy, each year the Family Service Agency honors those who have demonstrated support for the values that she held dear and who exemplify her courage and commitment to building a healthy community one child, one adult, one family at a time. This year, the agency has selected Senator Portantino and City Manager Hess as the recipients of the award. Portantino was presented with an FSA Dove of Peace on Saturday night.
“FSA is an amazing organization that brings mental health and family support services to countless community members and I am extremely honored to share this year’s Mary Alice O’Connor award with Justin. I’ve been able to partner with FSA on mental health awareness and efforts to bring care and understanding to our young people. We are in unprecedented times it is more important than ever that we meet mental health issues head on and that we support each other and our service providers,” commented Senator Portantino.
Senator Portantino has been a statewide leader on mental health issues. He successfully authored legislation requiring mental health facilities to notify a patient’s family or friend at least 36 hours ahead of their release. He also put the National Suicide Prevention Hotline on student identification cards starting in the 7th grade. Senator Portantino has long advocated for changing school start times because studies show that later start times positively impact the health and wellbeing of teens.
In addition to working with FSA on two mental health town halls, Senator Portantino partnered with the First District PTA to hold two Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops.
“For years we have admired Senator Portantino for his persistent efforts to raise life-saving mental health awareness and resources. We have long relied on his visionary leadership and genuine commitment to create access for all suffering with feelings of alienation, isolation, anxiety, depression, and considering suicide. For these reasons and so many more, Family Service Agency of Burbank is honored to have Senator Portantino as this year’s 2020 recipient of The Mary Alice O’Connor Vision Award,” commented Laure Bleick, Executive Director, FSA.
The Mary Alice O’Connor Visionary Award was first presented in 2007 and since that time has been received by a distinguished group of bold leaders who exemplify her fierce commitment to making our world a safer, healthier, more joyful place for all.
