How are you? I hope the Spring weather (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) is bringing you a sense of warmth and renewal.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month , and I am so honored to be a Champion for the National Alliance on Mental Illness -- New York State!
As a Champion for NAMI -- NYS, I hope to shine a bright and compassionate light on mental health and encourage more open conversations and advocacy - - and for me, that's in the form of working with children.
I was really lucky to grow up in a home where our mental and emotional well-being was prioritized. My siblings and I had the safety and security to share our thoughts, feelings, and struggles.
So as a child, I remember watching Mister Rogers who taught us that our feelings are both "mentionable and manageable".
The simplicity of his message and his open conversation about mental health felt familiar to me and I thought “Doesn’t everyone know that?”.
As I grew older, I realized that is not the case.
The negative attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes that society holds about individuals who experience mental health conditions have created such a shame around acknowledging the need for help and being able to ask for it.
Together, we can raise awareness and advocate around mental health so that we may step closer to the NAMI-NYS goal of ending the stigma around mental illness.
This month, I will be visiting local schools to share the NAMI “Meet Little Monster” curriculum, which is a tool for young people to express and explore their feelings in a fun, creative, and empowering way, and to foster dialogue between children and the safe adults in their lives. I can't wait!!
I'm also fundraising -- and have lots of fun promos in store for you, you can see them posted below.
So here we go, together we can make the world that NAMI-NYS envisions a reality, a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares.
And we get bonus points for making Mister Rogers proud too. Be well and take good care.
xo. leah
Check out these incredible promos from our fundraising partners!
