Last Sunday we launched a fundraising campaign to benefit NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, with the goal of raising $1,500 by August 23rd. We pledged to donate all profits from our online store for one week (August 16th - 23rd) to NAMI.
So far, we are a little over 25% of the way towards achieving this goal.
In case you missed it, we made a terrible mistake on August 14th by posting a highly offensive image to our Instagram account last Friday. You can read more about that here and you can read the activist blogger Zadidoll's reaction to our post here. In the end, we were able to connect with an incredible group of passionate activists, learn an invaluable lesson, and hopefully help to raise awareness and funds for an important cause.
Fact: 1 in 5 adults in the United States live with a mental illness.
The money we can raise together will not only go towards improving treatment but also towards fighting the stigma associated with mental illness. We've taken the NAMI #IamStigmaFree pledge and you can too by following this link. What does stigma free mean? It means that you commit to educating yourself and others about mental health, to see the person rather than the illness, to listen, to share your personal story, to take action, to spread the word, and to make a difference.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides an array of support and education programs to raise awareness around mental health issues and to improve access to treatment. They provide an information helpline for referral services as well as discussion and support groups through NAMI’s hundreds of online forums. Many states have NAMI affiliates that work to raise awareness of mental health issues in their local communities. You can get involved too by contacting your local NAMI affiliate.
Through our donations, we hope to help fight the stigma associated with mental illness that too often serves as an invisible barrier preventing those most in need from receiving the treatment and support they deserve. Help us fight stigma, raise money, and support the mental health community.
