(From Press Release) – The Yolo County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) invites all community members to join them for Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 6th – 12th. NAMI Yolo County is hosting events in Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento to commemorate Mental Illness Awareness Week.
- October 8th, Davis. Participate in an Interfaith Prayer Service at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin, 640 Hawthorn Ln, Davis. The service will take place from 12 – 1:00 pm and a lunch reception will follow from 1 – 2:00 pm. This annual service brings faith leaders together with families, providers, and peers to celebrate a National Day of Prayer for understanding and recovery.
- October 9th, Woodland. Participate in NAMI Yolo County’s annual Rally for Recovery at Heritage Plaza on Main Street in downtown Woodland, from 5 – 7:00 pm. Supervisor Don Saylor will present the Yolo County Proclamation of Mental Illness Awareness Week, and NAMI Yolo County will honor our outstanding Peer, Provider and Community contributions to Mental Health Education. The event will have pizza and ice cream and feature an open Mic for folks to share their own mental health stories.
- October 10th, West Sacramento. Celebrate Global Mental Health Day with NAMI Yolo County and the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) at our first Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) Townhall. The townhall will be at the West Sacramento City Hall Galleria, 1110 W. Capitol Ave. and will take place from 6 – 7:00 pm. Learn a little about MHSA and share your ideas and feedback on mental health services.
- October 12th. Show your support for Yolo County’s two remaining Board and Care facilities for people experiencing a serious mental illness at the Save Pine Tree Gardens Fundraiser Dinner, hosted by the Marchand & Moyle families. Please RSVP to friends@namiyolo.org.
“Mental Illness Awareness Week has historically been an opportunity for our community to gather together to celebrate how far we have come and to get energized to take on the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving a stigma free future. Mental health affects everyone, so it’s going to take everyone to overcome the obstacles we face. Mental Illness Awareness Week is one of the ways we’re trying to get the community engaged. There’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved, we hope you do,” says NAMI Yolo County’s Director of Programs, Maggie Fry.
NAMI is the largest grassroots organization in the US serving people with mental illnesses and their families. During the Rally for Recovery, community members will have an opportunity to connect with their local NAMI leadership, meet NAMI members, hear stories of triumph and engage in educational activities designed to strengthen our communities’ understanding of mental illness and recovery.
NAMI Yolo County’s Acting President, Jenifer Price, says, “Come join us as we silently reflect, gather to celebrate, provide integral inform, and gather for a casual meal to support vital housing – to raise awareness about mental illness. This is how NAMI Yolo County shows our community ‘You Are Not Alone.’”
