We are supporting Mental Health America because we believe that seeking help should be seen as a sign of strength, not weakness. The company's mission aligns with what matters most to our team: awareness, prevention, access to care, advocacy, reducing stigma, and honoring lived experience. Through this campaign, our goal is not only to raise funds, but also to raise hope, understanding, and awareness.

Mental health awareness is not just a social issue we researched; it is something that has personally touched each of our lives, families, and communities. Our experiences include supporting loved ones through severe mental health struggles, growing up around misunderstood mental health challenges, navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, and suicidal thoughts, and witnessing how cultural expectations and stigma can keep people from asking for help.

Across our reflections, one common theme is that mental health struggles are often misunderstood, minimized, or hidden. Several of us shared that we did not fully understand our own experiences, or the experiences of loved ones, until later in life. Others described how family beliefs, cultural expectations, financial barriers, or pressure to appear strong made it harder for people to speak openly or seek support. These experiences helped us recognize how important it is to create safe spaces where people can be honest without shame, rejection, or judgment.

Our experiences are shared amongst millions of people every year. According to Mental Health America, almost one in five adults in the United States experience a mental illness every year (Mental Health America, 2024). The struggles we dealt with also plague others. Many people never get the treatment they need because of the cost, lack of access, or stigma around mental illness. Mental Health America aims to alleviate the pain points and friction to getting help by providing free screenings and connections to local services that can assist people in getting the appropriate help they need.

For us, success is not measured only by the amount of money raised. If this campaign helps even one person feel less alone, understand their mental health more clearly, seek treatment, or support someone they love, then it will have made a meaningful impact. Our shared hope is that by talking openly about mental health, we can help break down stigma and encourage healthier individuals, families, and communities. Every donation made to this campaign will go towards helping MHA keep providing support and resources to people struggling with mental illness.

To learn more about Mental Health America, we encourage you click here to visit www.mhanational.org. With your help, we can help others feel empowered to get the help they need to face their challenges with mental health. One person can make a major difference.