A Heartfelt Thank You and a Message of Hope
Welcome to this year’s final edition of Facing It Friday! As our journey through Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the Let’s Face It campaign and shown their commitment to mental health awareness in Connecticut. Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring.
This year, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support from community members, partners, staff, and individuals and organizations across the state. These efforts demonstrate a powerful collective commitment to making mental health a priority for everyone. From speaking with people at events to spreading awareness through stories, tips, and information on social media, every action taken helps break the stigma surrounding mental health and encourages those struggling to seek help.
A Thank You to Our Donors, Fundraisers, and Partners
We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, donors, and fundraisers whose generosity makes our work possible. Your contributions help us provide essential services and support to those affected by mental health conditions. To our partners, thank you for your unwavering collaboration and for standing with us in our mission to promote mental health and well-being for all.
Honoring the Individuals Who Shared Their Stories
A special thank you goes out to the individuals, Ben Dubow, Floyd Green, Majesty Reyes, Marvin Pittman, and Shavana Clarke, who courageously shared their personal stories during this campaign. Their honesty and vulnerability are incredibly powerful in fostering understanding and compassion. By sharing their experiences, they are helping others feel less alone and more empowered to seek the help they need.
Celebrating Our Progress
With every year of the Let’s Face It campaign, we reach more people. Together, we are making significant strides in raising awareness, providing support, and helping to break the stigma. Each step taken by every individual, whether you made a donation, put out a lawn sign, participated in Light It Up Green, or shared your story, a tip, or motivation, has contributed to a larger movement that brings hope and healing to many. This year, we increased our reach and the depth of information significantly through hosting and attending events as well as collaborating on outreach, content, and resources.
A Message of Hope from Katie Gallo
As we reflect on the progress we’ve made, we also want to wrap up a month of daily content with the following message of hope from Katie Gallo, BA, MS.
As a person in long-term recovery from a mental health condition, I’d like to offer hope to those who may be struggling with their mental health right now.
- You are not alone! Millions of people live with mental health conditions and chances are there are people in your life who also do, whether you know it or not.
- You can still live a successful, fulfilling life with a mental health condition. I am married, I’m a mom and a business owner. My life didn’t go according to my plan, but with the proper treatment and support, it’s better than anything I imagined.
- Be kind to yourself! Talk to yourself like you would your friend. Mental health conditions aren’t weaknesses or character flaws, so try not to beat yourself up. Do the best you can.
- Celebrate the small wins. When you aren’t feeling well, the little tasks become overwhelming. Give yourself credit for accomplishing things like folding the laundry, doing the dishes, or going for a walk. Every small step is a step toward wellness. Keep going!
- It’s okay to ask for help. Proper treatment and support are critical. Reach out to a mental health professional for an evaluation. Also, tell a trusted friend or family member so they can support you along the way. If you are in crisis, don’t wait – call or text 988 for immediate support from a trained crisis counselor.
Katie Gallo, BA, MS, is the Founder and CEO of Daydream Communications.
Keep the Momentum Going
While Let’s Face It occurs annually during the month of May, our work at MHC goes on. Every day, our staff work to provide life-changing services, education, and advocacy. We encourage you to continue the steps you took to increase awareness and break the stigma throughout the year. Together, we can create a safer, kinder Connecticut.
