From the Executive Director

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9. We hope it is a sweet and wonderful day for all the moms reading this, but we also know it can be a day…

by Joy Hogge This past October the world lost an amazing, charming, larger-than-life advocate and icon when the much-beloved founder of Families as Allies, Tessie Schweitzer, passed away far too…

We typically finalize our plans for the weekly edition of the Ally in our Monday morning staff meeting. This Monday morning we shared our horror in response to the shootings…

Reflections from Joy Hogge during Women's History Month ... I recently watched the movie Sunshine Cleaning. I was moved by it, but it's an unusual movie and may not be to…

Every year, on the third Monday of January, our nation honors the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This commemoration is meaningful to Families as Allies for many reasons,…

No new year has ever been as anticipated and awaited as 2021. Although the stroke of midnight is unlikely to bring magical new beginnings, every new year brings the feeling…

It can be hard to find the right words this time of year. "Merry" and "Christmas" are two that come to mind. If you celebrate Christmas and are feeling merry,…

Steven Allen, Deputy Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, is retiring at the end of this month. Steve first visited Families as Allies in 2017, in the midst…

Our minds often turn to thankfulness at this time of the year. I am thankful to be the executive director of Families as Allies and have the honor and privilege…

How do you say goodbye to an icon in the family movement? An esteemed mentor? A much-beloved friend? I don’t know. But sometimes life gives us no choice. Tessie Brunini…