St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench Monthly shines a light on one of the many people who make St. Pete unique.
This month we’re featuring former genetics professor and current Compeer Pinellas director Jon Coren. As a person who has lived with bipolar disorder for more than 40 years, Coren is “passionate about removing the stigma associated with mental illness and improving the quality of life for adults living with mental challenges.” Compeer Pinellas, whose motto is “Mental Wellness Starts with Friendship,” is central to that mission.
From Dalí to the Dalí
As a young boy growing up in a Philadelphia suburb, Coren didn’t necessarily have a grand plan for his life, other than exploring his love for the surrealistic art of Salvador Dalí and music of Pink Floyd. His parents, however, did: He’d become “the nice Jewish doctor” every family desired, so he entered Cornell University. Suffering his first incidence of depression soon after, he left school only a few weeks into the semester. Learning for the first time that mental illness ran in his family, his mother helped him navigate through the fog of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Still, it took several years coming to terms with the diagnosis and the medications required to manage it. Once he accepted its reality, he entered the University of Pennsylvania. This time, however, he had his own focus. Understanding that genetics could “hold the answers about life,” he earned his doctorate and devoted his 30-year career to research and teaching. When it came time to retire, he saw an opportunity to embrace both the sunshine and his lifelong love for Dalí when he and his wife, Jaime, relocated to St. Petersburg. While she continued her work as a psychiatric nurse, Coren began volunteering at the Dalí Museum, where he was named Volunteer of the Year for 2020. He also devoted time to mental health organizations including board of directors positions with both NAMI Pinellas County and Compeer Sarasota. In 2020, he decided to escalate his mental-health advocacy efforts. Compeer Pinellas was born of that decision.
Compeer Pinellas: Make a Difference. Make a Friend.
Founded in 1973, Compeer, Inc. is an international, nonprofit organization that seeks to help people overcome the effects of mental illness through the power of friendship. The concept is simple. Adult men and women volunteer to regularly spend time with an adult or youth who is receiving mental health services. Mental health experts estimate that one in five adults experience a mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people. As a longtime volunteer in various Compeer chapters, Jon understands the difference it can make when support is offered to those struggling with mental health issues. He has forged strong bonds with the various “friends” Compeer has matched him with over the years, including his current match, Jimmy. Wanting to provide that opportunity to others and striving to help remove the stigma often associated with mental illness, Coren decided to launch a new local affiliate.
To volunteer or seek help through a Compeer match, contact Coren at [email protected] or (717) 525-0013. For more information, visit www.compeerpinellas.org.
