Five people are being honored in June as "champions of mental health" by the Turning Point Foundation.

The nonprofit Ventura agency is recognizing administrator Bob Benedetto in memoriam as well as volunteer Sherry Cash, advocates Jim and Lou Matthews and community worker Lynn Mikelatos.

They will be honored at a fundraising dinner and silent auction at 5:30 p.m. June 14 at the Courtyard Marriott in Oxnard. The organization provides housing, treatment and rehabilitation programs for people with mental illness.

The honorees:

n Benedetto, who died six years ago, is being honored for decades of service. He worked for Ventura County's mental health department, directing the county's psychiatric hospital and a mobile emergency team. He also designed and directed programs to provide treatment for mentally ill people charged with crimes, winning a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Social Workers.

Benedetto developed programs to help survivors handle the trauma of natural disasters, inspiring colleagues to nickname him the "Master of Disaster."

n Cash is a volunteer who helps homeless, mentally ill and addicted people in downtown Ventura. Cash drives people to medical appointments, mental health and drug treatment and homeless shelters. She also helps them sign up for disability benefits and social services. Cash is an educator trained in the Feldenkrais method, which focuses on the connection between movement and thought.

n Lou and Jim Matthews of Ventura have worked on behalf of families such as theirs who have mentally ill family members. Both have been leaders in the Ventura County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which advocates for people with mental disorders. The two worked to establish the Las Posada Mental Health Rehabilitation Center on Lewis Road and are credited with providing emotional support, education and resources for families affected by mental illness.

n Mikelatos has devoted thousands of hours to her community and church, leading the drive to build a pool at Oxnard High School and co-founding the Ventura Harbor Community Council.

She also has organized runs at Camarillo's Greek Festival benefiting the FOOD Share regional food bank and held various leadership positions with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce. She has worked with the Turning Point Foundation for more than 10 years, helping raise money and supporting a tent community for the homeless in the Ventura area.

To purchase tickets to the dinner, donate auction items, advertise or become a sponsor, call Jane Lax at 652-0596, ext. 11 or e-mail jlax@turningpointfoundation.org.