Greener Pastures Foundation awards $3M to Dayton Children’s for mental health

News release originally published by The Greener Pastures Foundation at The Dayton Foundation

Local real estate developer Randy Gunlock and his family's foundation, known as the Greener Pastures Foundation at The Dayton Foundation, today announced the awarding of a $3 million unrestricted grant to Dayton Children's in support of mental health and wellness for Greater Dayton youth.

"Investing in the mental well-being of our region's youth is an investment in the future of our collective community," said Randy Gunlock, founder of RG Properties, a real estate development company that has developed over 10 million square feet of retail space in the Midwest. "For decades, Americans have emphasized the importance of caring for our physical health, but caring for our mental health is just as vital to our overall quality of life."

The Greener Pastures Foundation was established in 2001 through The Dayton Foundation to facilitate the Gunlock family's charitable giving goals. Randy Gunlock has long been concerned about the escalating mental health challenges facing children, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He initiated this investment to Dayton Children's after being inspired by the Mathile Family Foundation's donation in September of an undisclosed amount toward The Mathile Center for Mental Health and Wellness. This state-of-the-art mental health facility, which is scheduled to open in early 2025, is under construction at Dayton Children's main campus located on Valley Street in Dayton.

"Mental health issues are increasing worldwide and are more apparent since the pandemic when children were unable to attend school, participate in extracurricular activities, or just socialize with friends," Gunlock said. "Our Foundation hopes this investment will raise awareness and help young people reach their full potential. Children are our future."

Said Michael Parks, CFRE, president of The Dayton Foundation, "We are so fortunate and blessed to have Randy's leadership and generosity in our community. His commitment to Dayton Children's and his dedication to improving mental health for all in our region are both inspiring and deeply appreciated."

Said Debbie Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children's:

"The Greener Pastures' investment is another example of the generosity of our Dayton community for what we believe is the crisis of this generation. Mental health facilities are expensive to build and having the support of philanthropy to help us make it a reality is absolutely critical. Dayton Children's is overjoyed to receive this very generous investment."

"The Gunlock family has been very fortunate in our lives and careers, and we believe giving back to help others is our responsibility for the blessings we've received," Gunlock added. "Thanks to Debbie Feldman's leadership, Dayton Children's has flourished. We've gotten to know Debbie, not only through the hospital but also at the county level, and it's thanks to her complete understanding of mental health issues and developing the steps to help address this regional issue that made the Greener Pastures Foundation want to invest in solutions. We're so grateful to be able to make this financial investment for our region's children and help promote understanding, compassion and access to care for individuals facing mental health challenges. We hope this will inspire others in our region to consider making an investment as well."

Photo credit: Marshall Gorby, Dayton Daily News