FEBRUARY 2019 BY TYRONE KELSEY NAMI Washtenaw County will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year! Wow. When you consider how far we’ve come over those years, you see the power of grassroots efforts. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, emerged through the passionate and highly motivating experiences of men and women impacted byContinue reading From the Board
Mental Health Challenges: What Should Christians Do?
FEBRUARY 2019 BY LOIS MAHARG NAMI Washtenaw has made presentations at faith-based venues before. But 2019 began with something new: NAMI Washtenaw conducted a series of four interactive workshops called “A Christian’s Response to Mental Health Challenges” at the First United Methodist Church of Saline, where Darlene Wetzel is a member of the congregation. “DarleneContinue reading Mental Health Challenges: What Should Christians Do?
Course Is Interactive & Improved, Says Peer-to-Peer Facilitator
FEBRUARY 2019 BY GIZEM YAGCI Hello Readers! My name is Gizem Yagci and I am a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) facilitator at NAMI Washtenaw! Since I was trained in the summer of 2017, I have facilitated five P2P classes, and I am super excited to announce that we have a new curriculum for our outstanding program! IContinue reading Course Is Interactive & Improved, Says Peer-to-Peer Facilitator
NAMI Washtenaw Goes to Middle School for Mental Health Event
FEBRUARY 2019 NAMI Washtenaw County took part in a daylong Mental Health Matters event on Feb. 7 at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter. Volunteer Bob Nassauer described the day as “well organized and powerful.” The Corner Health Center kicked off the event to the whole school. The presentation included a TED Talk by comedianContinue reading NAMI Washtenaw Goes to Middle School for Mental Health Event
From the Board
DECEMBER 2018 BY TYRONE KELSEY Hello, NAMI Washtenaw County! First of all, I’d just like to let you all know that the enormity of being elected president of this organization has brought mixed emotions. On the one hand I’m sobered by the scale and interdependencies of all the connected pieces and parts of what weContinue reading From the Board
Volunteer Presentation Goes to Church
DECEMBER 2018 BY LOIS MAHARG About 1 in 5 teens and young adults has a mental health condition. To address the issue, NAMI has developed a teen-focused mental health awareness program, one version for adults and another, for teens. It’s called Ending the Silence, or ETS. “We call it that because we want people toContinue reading Volunteer Presentation Goes to Church
65 People Trained in Story Writing for Advocacy
DECEMBER 2018 BY MARK CREEKMORE NAMI is the voice of mental illness, and the heart of our advocacy strategy is our stories of hope and recovery. We have trained hundreds of people to write their stories using NAMI Smarts, the process for writing advocacy stories. In November we conducted 2-hour trainings in four NAMI classes,Continue reading 65 People Trained in Story Writing for Advocacy
Peer-to-Peer Facilitator Honored at Annual Meeting
DECEMBER 2018 NAMI Washtenaw’s Annual Membership Meeting on Nov. 3 drew nearly 30 members and volunteers, who munched on roll-ups and fruit salad before getting down to business. Attendees watched a 2018 NAMI Washtenaw video and listened to a summary of the organization’s accomplishments in the past year. The board of directors voted to approveContinue reading Peer-to-Peer Facilitator Honored at Annual Meeting
NAMI WC Recognized on Soccer Field
OCTOBER 2018 BY LOIS MAHARG On Sept. 13, the Dexter and Pioneer High School boys’ soccer teams faced off in a doubleheader to raise awareness of mental illness and funds for NAMI Washtenaw. Dexter soccer coach Jamie Lewis was the driving force behind these “mental health awareness” games. Both junior varsity and varsity teams played.Continue reading NAMI WC Recognized on Soccer Field
Walkers and Bicyclists Turn Out to Raise Funds
OCTOBER 2018 Thirteen NAMI Washtenaw volunteers and supporters gathered on Belle Isle on a chilly September 22 to participate in the 2018 NAMIWalks fundraiser. Across from the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Washtenaw Walkers fell in step with volunteers from NAMI affiliates across southeastern Michigan to make their way around the park and raise moneyContinue reading Walkers and Bicyclists Turn Out to Raise Funds