Scott Snyder’s important work for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, founded by his good friend Audrey Gruss, is giving people who suffer with anxiety and depression a newfound spirit of happiness.
Interior designer and philanthropist Scott Snyder
Well-known interior designer Scott Snyder found being inspired by his good friend Audrey Gruss, founder of Hope for Depression Research Foundation, was the best way to combat an affliction many of his close friends and colleagues suffered through year after year. “Depression is a global health crisis, and to raise awareness and funds for research is so important. I am inspired each year by the growth of the foundation and how my efforts are making a difference.”
With an international client base, Snyder is known for his classic, detailed, high-end design work and has been supporting charities and attending fundraisers to support his friends and clients for years. He quickly saw how Gruss’ initiatives and research programs could make a lasting impact and save lives. Says Snyder, “It was important to step in and open up everyone’s eyes to the scope of the epidemic. I knew there was an urgent need for research to find answers.” According to the prolific designer, HDRF’s annual events are educational and eye-opening, but it was the group’s Race for Hope in Palm Beach last year, where he served as the co-grand marshal for the past two years, that really had a major effect on him. “In the pouring rain in 2019, over 300 people came out to run or walk the entire 5K race in its first year,” says Snyder. “I was filled with an incredible sense of this growing community, and the mounting support is simply extraordinary.” And this support is what has allowed this organization to be a leader in research and drug discovery. Currently they are in clinical trials for a new category of antidepressants that can treat depression in a new way. With over 20 million adults affected by this disease, Scott Snyder, Audrey Gruss and Hope for Depression are helping to make people’s lives more beautiful, inside and out.
Photography by: @Harry Benson
