Behind The Mask

7120 Wyoming Boulevard Northeast,Albuquerque NM 87109

11 December, 2021

Description

Vessel Longevity & IV Bar is pleased to present a fundraiser event for Ancora Transitional Services and Breaking the Silence New Mexico. All proceeds for this event will go toward Breaking the Silence New Mexico and Ancora Transitional Services! The evening hosted by Vessel Longevity & IV Bar will be filled with tapas prepared onsite for guests entertainment sponsored by Shamrock foods and 505 Food Fights. A culinary competition where 5 chef teams compete against each other a for a chance to win local celebrity judges choice and/or peoples choice. Formal attire is requested for the evening Music provided by Crestline Cash bar Silent Auction The Chef Teams are as follows: "RotiNM" led by chef Lisa Sanchez and Gilbert Aragon “Bocadillos” - led by chef Marie Yniguez and team. Owner of ‘Slow Roasted Bocadillos, ‘Smokin’ Fred’s 46’, and ‘Your Mom’s House’-Marie is a Food Network champion! “Taste of Love” - All female team led by Chef Kayla Vallejos owner of Taste of Love food truck and chef Sara Tori Green of Ohana Hut “Staggs” - technically skilled powerhouse team of 4 local chefs led by chef Sean Staggs “Food for the Sol” - led by Wendel Cebada; chef owner of Food for the Sol food truck of Cuba, NM ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please read about our nonprofits below: Mental health has such a stigma around it. We feel that it should be brought to light and normalized. People need to feel like they're not alone, especially during this "new normal". So many of us have stories where mental health has a role to play. In the last 18 months, COVID has exacerbated the anxiety, depression, feelings of hopelessness, and isolation that we've all felt at one time or another. Ancora's Story: Ancora was founded in late 2020 by social worker, Dominic Cagliostro, whose dream is to support individuals who have struggled with substance use as they establish healthier lifestyles. The nonprofit is interconnected and supported by Perfectly Imperfect Therapy Center which specializes in substance-use and domestic violence therapy. They recruit from a number of outpatient treatment centers across the region. Ancora provides an environment that's conducive to being sober while teaching necessary skills they can take with them. Ancora serves as the model for what Dominic hopes will grow into an entire network of local businesses offering similar opportunities for participants interested in, say, dentistry or construction rather than baking. “I just want to help people,” Cagliostro says. “It’s something that I feel gives my life meaning. What do we want to put our energy into? I want to put my energy into helping the community.” Breaking the Silence New Mexico's Story: Breaking the Silence New Mexico (BTSNM) was founded in 2012 by Michelle Herling, whose brother suffered with a lifelong mental illness, and Desiree Woodland, a teacher who recognized the need for education about mental illness in middle and high school classrooms after the suicide of her son Ryan. BTSNM wants to be the voice when people don't feel like they have one. They want to speak up and give youth the language to engage in dialogue, and remove the shame from mental illness. BTSNM promotes mental health literacy, advocacy, and well-being for teens, youth, and adults through education, personal stories, and the arts. Their core programs share the goal of ending the stigma, shame, silence, and secrecy surrounding mental illness and suicide. Their programs are in classrooms, grades 4-12 throughout New Mexico but they are headquartered in Albuquerque. To date, they have served over 22,000 New Mexican youth.