Raising Awareness About Mental Health in Shelburne, Charlotte and Hinesburg
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont (NAMI Vermont) is honored to be one of 14 local non-profits awarded a spring grant from the Shelburne Charlotte Hinesburg Interfaith Projects (SCHIP). The grants were awarded to the 14 organizations at a special reception on May 21 at the SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop in Shelburne.
These grants awarded by SCHIP will help serve the people in the three communities in a variety of ways. NAMI Vermont will use the awarded funds to provide three In Our Own Voice presentations and a Mental Illness and Recovery (MIR) Workshop in the area over the next year.
“We are grateful to SCHIP for their support in making it possible to bring some of our NAMI programming to these communities,” says Laurie Emerson, Executive Director of NAMI Vermont. “Mental health affects everyone. In Vermont, approximately 1 in 5 individuals is affected by mental illness or a mental health condition. Stigma can prevent some from seeking help or talking to friends and families about their challenges. By raising awareness, we can reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health and help people build better lives. We look forward to sharing our programs with the Shelburne, Charlotte and Hinesburg communities and working together to raise awareness about mental health. ”
The one-day MIR Workshop provides information to participants about mental illness, the components of recovery, and services and resources that are available in Vermont. Trained NAMI Vermont members lead this free workshop that is open to the public. The In Our Own Voice presentations are free public education programs. Two trained speakers share their compelling personal stories of living with mental health challenges and achieving recovery.
SCHIP was founded in 2003 by local faith communities and has strived to raise funds to improve the lives of neighbors and strengthen the Shelburne, Charlotte and Hinesburg communities. The money is raised through sales of donated items at their Shelburne resale shop. Since the first grants given in 2005, SCHIP has given more than $700,000 to local organizations.
