May is Mental Health Awareness Month
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.” - John Green
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we hope you are taking some time for yourself to recalibrate where you are at this year, five months into it. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health Awareness Month “was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness.” Many people set goals for their well-being in January as they make their new year’s resolutions, but did the health goals you made at the beginning of this year include your mental health?
Mental Health America has named the theme of this year’s MHAM as “Where to Start,” as in where to start taking care of yourself. Here at SHARE Detroit, we pride ourselves on providing a “where to start” on doing good, so we’re turning our focus this month on our nonprofit partners whose missions involve supporting mental health.
While we see statistics regarding mental illness rise in troubling ways, we also see the immense amount of effort mental health professionals are putting forth to care for their communities. For instance, Garrett’s Space recently purchased a new property on which they will construct a residential center. This center will serve as an intermediary between outpatient therapy and inpatient hospitalization where young adults can stay for three to four weeks to partake in meditative activities, develop coping skills, and make social connections. Already on SHARE Detroit’s events calendar is Garrett’s Space’s Go4Garrett’sSpace August 24th fundraiser if you want to help contribute to the construction of what we know will be an incredible center!
Also on our radar are Know Resolve’s upcoming Detour Project summer camps running June 26th and 27th; July 1st and 2nd; July 23rd and 24th; and August 8th and 9th. Detour Project is an expressive art workshop that helps teenagers learn creative coping strategies to manage their emotions. Registration is now open for the Detour Project on Know Resolve’s website! You’ll notice that Know Resolve’s wish list includes a lot of art supplies–this is because in addition to the summer Detour Project, they also hold monthly arts and crafts pop-ups. Consider shopping for good if you’re interested in supporting this work!
SHARE Detroit partners with so many more incredible mental health focused nonprofits including–but certainly not limited to–Dearborn Pastoral Counseling Center, Vista Maria, Therapy Ranch, Kevin's Song, and Caleb's Kids. There’s no dearth of places you can go to if you yourself need help and if you want to support the people doing the helping, now you know where you can start!
About SHARE Detroit
SHARE Detroit is a community initiative with opportunities to do good across the tri-county area. A robust online platform makes giving easy by connecting generous people to the greatest needs in the community. SHAREDetroit.org offers local nonprofits a chance to be seen and heard, regardless of cause or size, and work together. Learn more at sharedetroit.org.