MAY 28, 2009 ISSUE
NAMI Connections Support Group to Begin Meeting Tuesdays in June
Raffle tickets are currently on sale throughout Boone for a chance to win local artist Kyle Keeter’s watercolor painting of the historic Holy Cross Church in Valle Crucis. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the local chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill’s (NAMI) Connections support group will begin meeting every other Tuesday starting June 2. The free bi-weekly meetings will take place from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. at the Recovery Education Center (REC). The REC is located at 377 Shadowline Drive in Boone at New River Behavioral Healthcare.
Connections is a recovery support group for people living with mental illness in which people learn from each others’ experiences, share coping strategies and offer each other encouragement and understanding. Sessions are led by trained individuals currently in recovery who understand the challenges faced by those coping with mental illness. No registration or enrollment is required to attend.
“One out of five families, or one in 17 adults, contends with a mental illness each year,” said Steve Moeller of the Recovery Education Center. “Thanks to our amazing volunteer facilitators, who themselves live with mental illness, people in Boone need not feel isolated.”
Connections offers participants a safe environment to express themselves and receive support without being judged which is a critical component of recovery and wellness. The group is open to individuals regardless of their diagnosis.
Raffle tickets for a watercolor painting of Holy Cross Church in Valle Crucis by local artist Kyle Keeter are currently being sold at the Boone Farmers’ Market. Proceeds from the raffle will go to support training and outreach programs by NAMI. The drawing for the painting will be held on Saturday, June 21. Tickets are two for $5 and are available at various locations throughout Boone.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has affiliates in every state and in more than 1,100 local communities across the country. For more information on Connections or the raffle, call NAMI Connections support Group Facilitator Karen Gross at 336-982-2100 or at 828-406-1421.
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