The San Antonio Clubhouse – Building Valuable Life Skills

San Antonio Clubhouse
Image: saclubhouse.org

Former USAA executive Dawn Johnson is active in a wide range of charitable pursuits, and particularly enjoys supporting patient health organizations both in and outside of her San Antonio home. Dawn Johnson is a member of the San Antonio Clubhouse board of directors.

The San Antonio Clubhouse works to support men and women who live with mental illnesses. It provides valuable resources to people as they recover, allowing them to build relationships with other members and Clubhouse staff as they prepare to re-enter the workforce.

The Culinary and Dining Unit at the Clubhouse allows members to become familiar with food preparation best-practices and to cultivate healthy eating habits. Culinary and Dining Unit members help create restaurant-quality meals for their fellow members, handling everything from planning to cleanup.

Participants in this program help develop a monthly menu, including shopping for ingredients. They raise the fresh vegetables and herbs used in the kitchen on-site in raised gardening beds.

Student Series Engages Students in Fundraising for Blood Cancer Effort

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Image: lls.org

San Antonio, Texas, resident Dawn Johnson contributes to a number of community efforts and nonprofit organizations. Dawn Johnson also belongs to the board of trustees for the South Texas – San Antonio Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Programs administered by the LLS include the Student Series.

The Student Series supports the LLS’s mission of finding a cure for lymphoma and improving the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with blood cancers. It engages children in pre-kindergarten through high school in an assortment of character education and philanthropy programs designed to encourage students to participate in fundraising and giving efforts. To maximize that impact students have on the lives of individuals with blood cancers, the series grows alongside students with programs tailored to each individual school level.

Programs in the Student Series include Pennies for Patients, Collect for Cures, and Students of the Year. Each program engages students in fundraising efforts for the LLS, and the Collect for Cures and Students of the Year initiatives involve a leadership development aspect to help motivate team work and creativity. Since the series’ inception, participating students have raised more than $315 million for breakthrough therapies and patient services. Furthermore, the series raised over $26 million during the 2015-2016 school year.

Units of the San Antonio Clubhouse

San Antonio Clubhouse
Image: saclubhouse.org

Based in San Antonio, former USAA Executive Council member Dawn Johnson now serves as an independent marketing consultant. In addition to her work in marketing, Dawn Johnson supports local nonprofits, including the San Antonio Clubhouse.

The San Antonio Clubhouse is a charitable organization that aids in the recovery of individuals with mental illness. To help members achieve recovery, the clubhouse maintains the following units:

1. Business Unit: Clubhouse members who participate in the Business Unit can learn valuable workplace skills, use computers to apply for jobs or housing, and connect with vocational rehabilitation programs.

2. Community Connections Unit: The Community Connections Unit conducts outreach programs to spread the word about the clubhouse’s work and keeps existing members informed about the organization’s events and new resources.

3. Culinary Unit: In the Culinary Unit, members work alongside cooking professionals to learn about healthy eating habits. They also contribute to the maintenance of the clubhouse vegetable and fruit garden.

4. Development Unit: Members who work with the Development Unit are responsible for helping the clubhouse raise funds, plan events, and conduct grant research.

5. Wellness Unit: The wellness unit provides members with a place to focus on health through participation in and planning of physical activities, as well as the management of the clubhouse’s snack bar.

Some of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Service Areas

The founder and chief executive officer of DMJ Consulting, Dawn Johnson of San Antonio has previous experience with USAA Marketing. Previously involved with the San Antonio-based charity Haven for Hope, Dawn Johnson currently serves on the board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

The world’s largest nonprofit health organization, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma since 1949. Committed to educating and helping patients afflicted with blood cancers and their families, the organization divides its efforts into several focus areas: research, public policy, and patient services, among others.

Through therapy acceleration programs and the continued financing of academic research, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has expanded the realm of blood cancer research to include venture capitalists and pharmaceutical companies in addition to traditional academic collaborations and biotech partnerships. LLS also works to discover and increase outside funding for blood cancer research. For patients undergoing therapy, LLS strives to ensure they receive high-quality, well-coordinated treatments that are covered by insurance. The organization’s patient services are similarly designed to improve patient access to up-to-date therapies and trials.

LLS serves as a central resource for cancer information and services and is able to address the varied support needs of patients and their families. To date, it has invested over $1 billion in blood cancer research.