ABOUT NSOU
Founded in November 2014, No Shame on U is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Our Mission
No Shame On U is dedicated to eliminating the stigma associated with mental health conditions so the people who need the help will seek it, family members and friends will know how to provide proper support, and to save lives.
We achieve our mission through:
Community outreach programs, including small group engagements and larger speaker oriented events
Classes and workshops across all age levels
Daily online tools and resources including our weekly blog and bi-monthly podcast
Distribution of No Shame On U's fact sheets, crisis information magnets, and other resources
Appearing at parades, fairs, and festivals
Educational presentations about mental health and stigma
Why Do We Have This Mission?
More than one in four Americans (26.2%) ages 18 or older lives with a diagnosable mental health issue. This means that on average, every family is touched by mental illness. Yet two thirds of those diagnosed do not get treated. Research shows that stigma is one of the key barriers to people seeking mental health treatment. Founded in November, 2014, No Shame On U is dedicated to breaking the stigma associated with mental health so the people who need the help will seek it, family members and friends will know how to provide proper support, and to save lives. We achieve our mission through our community outreach programs, classes and workshops, our online presence of over 120,000 social media followers, our weekly blog, our podcast, distribution of our fact sheets, crisis information magnets and videos, and educational presentations.
NO SHAME ON U - TEAM MEMBERS
No Shame On U’s Interim Executive Director, Judy Rosen is a Senior Consultant with Evolve Giving Group. She has spent her career helping organizations reach their full potential. Her passion lies in assisting mission-driven nonprofits with the tools, knowledge, and resources to take their work to the next level. Over the last several decades, Judy has worked at a wide variety of organizations, including Jewish National Fund, AIPAC, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and ORT America. Through her consulting work, she has served in interim leadership positions, written grant proposals, coached nonprofit leaders, and developed fundraising campaigns. Judy has a Masters in Nonprofit Management from the New School for Social Research and a BA in Jewish Studies from American University. She has served in leadership positions at her home congregation, Temple Beth-El, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago, Hebrew Union College, Israel Connect and JARC-FL. A resident of South Florida since 2019, Judy lives with her husband and enjoys walking in the sunshine, reading good books and welcoming guests.
No Shame On U Director of Strategic Initiatives, Anat Geva, has a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Toronto, a Ph.D. in clinical and experimental psychology from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. As a clinician, Anat provided psychotherapy treatment for adults and adolescents and worked in a mood and anxiety partial hospitalization program. As an attorney, she litigated civil rights and employment discrimination disputes; she had a particular interest in cases in which mental health was a key element. More recently, Anat has held leadership positions with Chicago Jewish Day School, a multi-denominational, progressive Jewish day school in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. As Development Chair, she oversaw all aspects of the school’s annual campaign, which doubled under her leadership. From 2015 - 2019, Anat was President of the school’s Board of Trustees. In that capacity, she oversaw the school’s fundraising efforts, programming, strategic planning, and financial and budget planning. She oversaw the school’s move into a newly renovated campus and continues to play a leadership role in the school’s ongoing $30 million capital campaign. Anat is on the board of Camp Young Judaea Midwest and is a recent graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program. She lives in Evanston with her husband and two teenage children. Email: Anat@noshameonu.org
No Shame On U Director of Development, Sara L. Manewith, has been described as a teacher, a trainer, a mentor, and a coach. She has spent her career developing and managing human services programs with a focus on adolescent well-being. Trained as a social worker, Sara has honed her natural facilities as a strategic thinker, collaborator, and born communicator into a career as a not-for-profit leader. Her expertise is in program development, fundraising, and managing human services and research interventions. She has an MSW from the University of Chicago Crown School of Social Work Policy and Practice and a BS in Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in addition to a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Sara spent eight years as a fundraiser for her graduate alma mater and has taught social work management courses at the graduate level. She has held leadership positions on a university research project and for community-based programs supporting teens’ mental health and wellness, teen parents, and immigrant teens aspiring to attend college. Sara previously provided comprehensive sexuality education to incarcerated men and in various community settings. Sara is most proud of her ability to build highly effective teams that are noted for exceeding goals and being model programs from which others might learn. Email: Sara@noshameonu.org
No Shame On U Director of Programming, Wendy Singer, has 20 years of experience as a Non-Profit Professional. Most recently Wendy worked as the Director of Education at Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Wendy led the Education Department through a virtual transformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic which expanded the Museum reach and impact to over 32 states and several countries across the globe. Wendy created the Museum's first-ever, Teen Leadership Board with 24 participants in the first year with a growth to 94 participants in the second year.
Prior to IHMEC, Wendy worked for JCC Chicago. In Wendy’s 18 years at JCC Chicago, she has focused on youth programming, summer camps, teachable moments, and mentorship. Wendy is a “builder,” and she has conceived and grown programs (to record enrollment) from Hyde Park to Wisconsin. In her last role running the Northside Region of Chicago for JCC, she oversaw Apachi Rogers Park Day Camp, Apachi Evanston Day Camp, and JCC Chavayah Overnight Camp for Girls. Wendy has extensive experience in staff and volunteer development, community engagement, and strategic program implementation. Wendy has won multiple awards and honors for her work, including the JCC Chicago PresenTense Shark Tank Grant competition. Wendy is a graduate of Indiana University and has a Master's degree in Non-Profit Management from Spertus College. Wendy lives in Skokie with her husband Mitch, two daughters, Josie and Sophie, and their dogs Forbes and Bea. Email: Wendy@noshameonu.org
No Shame On U Founder and Executive Director Emeritus, Miriam Ament, has a B.A. in American History from Barnard College, Columbia University and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She was also a recipient of the JCC PresenTense Chicago 2014 Fellowship and, in 2016, earned her Certificate in Jewish Leadership from Northwestern University and Spertus. In addition, Miriam is certified in Mental Health First Aid. Miriam is also a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Faith Communities Task Force. Miriam serves on the Women's Board of JUF and the Health and Human Services Commission of JUF. In 2020, Miriam was selected by ICJA as one of their Alumni Who Inspire. Over fifteen years ago, Miriam was hospitalized three times for depression and encountered stigma and isolation from many friends and family members who didn't have the emotional tools and practical knowledge base to deal with the illness. Miriam is dedicated to utilizing her life experiences in order to normalize the mental health conversation and end the stigma. She lives in Chicago with her husband, musician David Forman.