Mental Health Angel Fund
I never had the awareness or inclination to think about Mental Health until I started working for Korean Community Services. It was one of those topics that were never discussed among my family or even my closest friends. However, when we started the dialogue, this is what I heard:
"I was so depressed, I just wanted to jump in front of the train and commit suicide. At that moment, I tried my best not to think about my loved ones. I'm glad that I forced myself to get away from the tracks."
"I have chills when I'm getting intimate in a relationship. Every time, I close my eyes, I picture my abusive boyfriend charging at me with a beer bottle. I need help! I deserve a happy relationship filled with love and mutual respect".
These stories are the realities of people that I dearly love and have known for years. As I learned more, I realized that there is a stigma attached to mental health that not only stops us from having these important discussions but keeps us from thriving.
Through this campaign, I hope to start a dialogue about mental health, raise funds and bring awareness that having a mental issue isn't something that you should be ashamed of.
Who am I fundraising for?
I'm raising funds for KCS Mental Heath Clinic in support of Angel Fund. The Angel Fund will allow KCS Mental Health Clinic to provide necessary mental health services for clients who are low-income, uninsured, and/or undocumented. KCS Mental Health Clinic has a sliding scale fee for uninsured clients. We have a policy where we will accept EVERYONE, regardless of their ability to pay.
KCS Mental Health Clinic is an Article 31 outpatient facility offering mental health services in both Korean and English. The clinic is operated by Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (510(c)(3) nonprofit).
Why support KCS?
According to The United States National Mortality records, suicide rates among Korean Americans nearly doubled from 2003 to 2012 (13.9 percent per 100,000 for women and 6.5 percent for men), surpassing those of all other Asian subgroups (Kung et al., 2016). There is a lack of affordable and culturally-sensitive mental health services for Koreans & other Asian-American ethnic groups in New York.
Each session at KCS Mental Health Clinic costs $150 including psychotherapy and medication management. Our fundraising goal of $25,000 will help KCS provide 165 sessions to uninsured and undocumented clients. All it takes is a donation of $150 to help someone in-need to thrive!
Please support KCS!
