Name what is happening
Mental illness, depression, anxiety, suicide risk, and grief can be hard to talk about. Plain language lowers the barrier to asking better questions.
About Us
Helping people find a clearer next step.
The Sam Anagnostou Foundation helps people and families affected by mental illness, depression, suicide risk, and suicide loss find education, connection, resources, and hope.
Foundation Story
Built from love. Focused on support.
Founded by John Anagnostou in memory of his brother Sam, the Foundation turns family love and lived experience into a public resource for people who need a more human way to begin.
Sam's spirit remains part of the story: generous, funny, energetic, and gifted at bringing people together. The mission carries that spirit forward through education, resource navigation, community, and hope.
Read Sam Anagnostou's eulogyOur Approach
A practical, non-clinical bridge toward support.
The Foundation is not a crisis service, therapy provider, or one-size-fits-all answer. It is a place to make mental-health conversations less confusing and less isolating, especially when families and friends are trying to understand what help can look like.
Find a realistic next step
The Foundation points people toward crisis resources, care options, family guidance, community supports, and practical navigation.
Keep people connected
Healing often requires persistence and the right mix of support over time. Community, follow-through, and shared experience matter.
What We Build Around
Help can take many forms.
Mental health should be approached with seriousness, compassion, and persistence. Support may include professional care, crisis resources, family guidance, peer connection, community, movement, nature, and credible educational tools.
Education And Navigation
Plain-language guidance that helps people recognize concern, understand support options, and take a practical next step.
Family And Friend Support
Tools for the people around someone who is struggling, with emphasis on presence, patience, direct questions, and follow-through.
Community And Shared Experience
Stories, events, mentorship, and peer-informed connection that reduce silence and help people feel less alone.
Movement, Nature, And Ocean
Outdoor activity, movement, breath, and ocean-centered programs as one meaningful expression of a broader path toward wellness.
Sam's Legacy
A source of connection, not the whole story.
Sam's life anchors the Foundation's beginning, but the public work reaches outward: helping more people speak openly about mental illness and depression, find credible support, and stay connected when life feels too heavy to carry alone.
Board And Foundation Circle
Guided by family, friends, advisors, and community.
John Anagnostou
Founder / President
Eric A. Weiss, MD
Board Member
Suhas Ahuja
Board Member
Craig Silverman
Board Member
Patty Anagnostou
Treasurer