The 31st annual Catalyst Rehab Telethon will take place virtually on Feb. 5th on WMFD-TV.
“As we approach the 31st Catalyst Rehab Telethon, I am reminded of the outpouring of support and unwavering compassion that is shown by our community,” said Laura Montgomery, CEO of Catalyst Life Services. “For this, I am truly grateful. We continue to live in unprecedented times and individuals in Richland County need our services more than ever. Each dollar donated to the Catalyst Rehab Telethon goes towards providing lifesaving services each day.”
Each year at the telethon, Catalyst tries to exceed the previous year. Last year the telethon raised over $120,000.
Catalyst Life Services continues to make a difference in the lives of the Richland County community by offering behavioral health services. Many local businesses show their support each year by donating.
“It’s really cool because so many people in the community participate in the telethon, so you really get to see a huge variety of community members,” said Melissa Drozda, Marketing and Development Director for Catalyst Life Services.
Those companies include Modern Woodmen, Gorman Rupp, Park National Bank, Mechanics Bank, Phillips Tube Group, Jay Industries, OhioHealth, Businesses from Labor, Richland Source and many more.
Richland Source has supported Catalyst throughout the years either through donations or working the phones and is proud to continue that support.
“What’s more important though is how much Mansfield and Richland County benefit from Catalyst in a myriad of ways. I cannot imagine our community without them,” said Richland Source President and Publisher Jay Allred.
“Catalyst is incredibly important to me and I’ve had the pleasure of working at the Rehab Telethon in the past,” said Leah Gesouras, Richland Source Account Executive and Community Engagement Coordinator. “As someone who has supported their efforts to the best of my abilities both professionally and personally, they work hard to make sure the people in our community remain the best part of themselves they can be. When you have a supportive mind and body, you’ll succeed in other areas or parts of your life.”
Since going virtual in 2021, Drozda noted how much it’s helped them cut down on cost, which means that more money can go into their services. They’ve also been able to show more variety on television by interviewing businesses around town and in their environment rather than in the Richland Mall.
“We have more of a variety of people we can reach out to now,” Drozda said. “Because in the past, if people wanted to be part of the telethon, they had to be available on that day to come to the mall and get on stage live. And now we have so many more opportunities to have them submit things to us, and they can also be in different states.”
Drozda continues to make new plans and has big dreams of reaching more people through the telethon. She hopes that one day they will have access to celebrities who can support Catalyst’s mission to support those who need or want mental health services.
Catalyst offers mental health and crisis services, vocational services, audiology and deaf services, as well as substance use disorder services. They also have a new behavioral health urgent care which is extremely helpful for those that cannot wait for an appointment.
Anyone can tune into the telethon on Feb. 5, which will also be streamed on WMFD’s Facebook and website. A phone number will be televised for those who want to call in and make their pledge. People can also make their pledge by visiting catalystlifeservices.org/donate.
“Just know that those dollars are going to help people that otherwise wouldn’t be able to access these life-changing benefits,” Drozda said.
