All over Henry and Stark counties signs have been posted with a message for area residents, “Life doesn’t get easier, we get stronger.”
The signs are part of a May campaign by the Henry County Mental Health Alliance to raise awareness about the issue of mental health. May is an appropriate month for the campaign since it’s national Mental Health Awareness Month.
David Harris is a board member for HCMHA and said that the organization has wanted to communicate a message about mental health for many years, but he credits Ellen Berberich for taking the ball and running with it.
“She had the idea for doing (sign) clusters and moving them around,” he said. “She organized and did the whole thing, so I really give a shout out to her.”
Groupings of signs designed to raise awareness have been placed in Henry County in places like Kewanee, Cambridge, Orion and Geneseo. The signs also appear in Stark County.
The mental health alliance has partnered with students from the Gray Matters Club from several school districts, including Kewanee. The students have taken on the responsibility to place and move the signs. Each club was provided with the clusters, including one blank sign so that they could write their own message, Harris said.
“We want people to be aware of it because we want people to take away the message that life doesn’t get easier, we get stronger and we really believe that,” Harris said.
It’s a message of resilience.
“We all are affected by mental illness. One out of five U.S. adults experience mental illness every year,” said Harris. “We can make a difference in our own mental health.”
Harris said it’s possible for people experiencing mental illness to become resilient if they work at it.
“These signs are messages that we think culturally we should believe.”
But Harris said asking for help with mental health is also important and there are resources available for people, especially those experiencing a mental health crisis. Harris said there is a national number that people can call (988) for the crisis line. That line will direct you to local resources that can offer assistance. The local hospitals are also a good place to turn, he said.
More information about the Henry County Mental Health Alliance can be found on their Facebook page. For more information on National Mental Health Awareness Month, click here.
