Richmond, VA
July 8, 2022
6:00 PM
The McShin Foundation
2300 Dumbarton Road
Richmond, VA 23228
The Living Undeterred Tour is a nationwide exploration aimed at bring attention to the mental health and substance use epidemics in our nation.
Keynote Speaker: Jeff Johnston
Better, Not Bitter: The Living Undeterred Mindset
On October 4, 2016, the trajectory of Jeff’s life changed with one phone call. Prior to that day, Jeff was living the American Dream. He had a great family, was a successful entrepreneur running a financial services firm in Iowa, and was seemingly coasting through life. The morning of October 4, 2016 Jeff received the phone call that is every parent’s worst nightmare. His oldest son, Seth, had died from fentanyl poisoning. He was 23 years old.
Jeff soon realized that he had two options. He could go down a road of anger and despair and become bitter, or he could use his situation as motivation to become better. And while it was not an easy journey, Jeff chose the road of better. Jeff's resiliency would again be tested in June 2021, when he lost his wife, Prudence, to alcoholism.
Jeff shares his experience through grief, addiction, and battling with his own mental health and the coping mechanisms he has developed to remain, undeterred.
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Featured Speaker: Bismah Ahmed
Bismah Ahmed made history by becoming the first South Asian, Muslim, and Pakistani woman to win the title of Miss DC for America 2022 and will proceed to compete in the National Miss for America competition in August in Vegas. She is the Vice President of Government Affairs, VA for the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA). She comes from a decade-long background in politics within the region, serving as a registered lobbyist before the Virginia General Assembly, executive agencies, and local governments in the Metropolitan Washington area. In her various roles throughout the years, she has developed strategies to reach a diverse range of communities, ensuring their inclusion on policy development.
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Our State Partner
The McShin Foundation was founded in 2004 by husband and wife duo John Shinholser and Carol McDaid to fill a void they saw in the care of Richmonders seeking recovery. John left a lucrative painting business to start the foundation and Carol is a veteran lobbyist for mental health and drug policy at the federal level. Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church opened their doors to McShin, offering office space when no one else was receptive to the idea of a recovery organization. From two offices in the basement of a church, McShin has grown into the organization it is today, including a 15,000 square foot recovery center and over 100 recovery residence beds in Richmond and the surrounding areas. Both in long-term recovery themselves, John and Carol continue working daily to combat Substance Use Disorders and help people start their recovery journey.