MEG’s Gift is proud to announce that the Veterans Outreach Center (VOC) in Rochester, NY has been selected as our 2026 Primary Beneficiary. Since its founding, MEG’s Gift has been committed to partnering with organizations that expand access to mental health care, promote awareness, and strengthen the well-being of individuals and families in our community. By providing financial support, educational resources, and advocacy, MEG’s Gift works to ensure that those struggling with mental illness have access to the care they need to live fulfilling lives. The Veterans Outreach Center shares this deep commitment through its mission of “Serving Those Who Serve U.S.”—offering free, comprehensive services that empower veterans and their families to achieve stability, wellness, and success. From housing and employment support to behavioral health care and peer connection, VOC provides a trusted and compassionate network of support for veterans navigating life after service. While VOC has been a previous recipient of MEG’s Gift funding, the decision to select them again reflects our strong belief in both their mission and their continued evolution to meet the needs of veterans in a changing world. In 2026, MEG’s Gift is especially honored to support the expansion of VOC’s health and wellness programs, which take a comprehensive, whole-person approach to care. These programs include mental health services, suicide prevention initiatives, peer support groups, fitness opportunities, and recreational activities designed to foster connection and resilience. By addressing physical, emotional, and social well-being together, VOC is creating meaningful pathways for healing and long-term stability. This partnership reflects a powerful alignment between our organizations. Both MEG’s Gift and the Veterans Outreach Center believe in the importance of connection, community, and accessible care. Both recognize that mental health is essential to overall well-being. And both are dedicated to building a stronger, more supportive community for those who need it most. Since 2015, MEG’s Gift has donated over $500,000 to local organizations making a difference in mental health and community wellness. We are proud to continue that impact in 2026 by investing in programs that directly support the brave men and women who have served our country. We look forward to working alongside the Veterans Outreach Center in the coming year and invite our community to join us in supporting their life-changing work. Together, we can continue to turn compassion into action—and ensure that no one faces their challenges alone.

MEG’s Gift is proud to announce a $35,000 donation to Compeer Rochester, our 2025 Primary Beneficiary, in support of their life-changing friendship-based mental health programs. At its core, MEG’s Gift is dedicated to expanding access to mental health resources, reducing stigma, and building a stronger, more connected community. That mission aligns seamlessly with Compeer Rochester, whose work is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: human connection is essential to mental wellness. Compeer Rochester’s mission is “to serve as a bridge to better mental health and community integration through the power of human connection.”  For over 50 years, their evidence-based model has demonstrated that meaningful relationships can reduce isolation, improve emotional well-being, and help individuals lead fuller, more connected lives.  The majority of MEG’s Gift 2025 funding will directly support Compeer Rochester’s Compeer Friends Program—a cornerstone of their work. Through this program, trained volunteers are thoughtfully matched with children, adults, and veterans living with mental health challenges, creating consistent, one-on-one friendships that foster trust, confidence, and belonging. At its heart, the program is beautifully simple: Participants feel less alone, while volunteers experience the fulfillment of genuine connection—“changing two lives” through one friendship.  These friendships are more than just social interactions—they are a critical complement to traditional mental health care. Research behind the Compeer model shows that increasing social connection can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and isolation.  This impact is deeply aligned with MEG’s Gift’s purpose. Both organizations recognize that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in relationships, in shared experiences, and in moments of feeling seen and understood. Compeer Rochester’s programs span all ages and life experiences, from youth who need a positive role model, to adults navigating anxiety and depression, to veterans rediscovering purpose and connection. Across every program, the goal remains the same: to ensure that no one has to face mental health challenges alone. MEG’s Gift is honored to support this work and to invest in a program that so clearly embodies the values we strive to promote—connection, compassion, and community. Through this $35,000 donation, we are not only funding a program—we are helping create friendships that change lives.