Together We Can Break the Stigma - Donate to NAMI

It's that time of year again - Georgia's NAMI Walk is on October 5th, which is the National Alliance of Mental Illness' biggest fundraiser campaign and it's a time when we gather with banners and balloons to show people that there is no need for the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction.  My personal fundraising page can be found HERE.  I'm not sure if I'll actually be there physically on the day-I'd like to, but there's another recovery fun activity on that same day that I would like to support also.  In case you do not follow the link, here is what I wrote on my page:

Welcome! I am walking for NAMI, because I believe in the work that the National Alliance of Mental Illness does.  NAMI provides free support groups of families and consumers, education programs, conducts valuable research, and works hard to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness.

The program that most affects my life is NAMI"s In Our Own Voice (IOOV) program, where I get a chance to share my own recovery story with different groups of people. Not once have I ever not felt like my telling did not positively affect at least one other person's life! I have seen the program give hope to family members and consumers alike that recovery from mental illness is real and absolutely possible, as well as educate many other populations. Not only that, but each time I share my story with others, a part of myself is healed and a little more of my own internal stigma is erased. NAMI pays for me to make these presentations and I believe it is important work.  If you can donate to help keep programs like IOOV running, please do! But more importantly, please tell people about NAMI, and refer them to the NAMI website - it has tons of great information! (nami.org). Contact me at hopeisreal42@yahoo.com if you would like to schedule an IOOV presentation for your organization with me. Having mental illness and getting treatment for it is not a weakness! Together we can break the stigma surrounding mental illness. Feel free to contact me if you have questions!  And don't worry-this should be the only post I do this year on fundraising...