Why donate to the Mental Health Association?

Donations are an important part of how the Mental Health Association supports it’s services. Your gifts give us the resources needed to address mental health challenges in our community and help people find wellness.

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Take a look at Briana’s Story to see how your donation makes an impact.

Briana Kilpatrick-Grant is a student who’s working on an engineering degree and volunteers at the Mental Health Association. Like many of the people who come to the Mental Health Association, she experiences unique mental health challenges. After a vivid hypnopompic auditory hallucinations experience (hearing voices) when she was 18 years old, she eventually found the right combination of medication and support to manage the overwhelming symptoms. But that’s only part of Briana’s journey to wellness. It’s what she’s done along that journey that makes her extraordinary.

Briana found the MHA’s Creative Wellness Opportunities in early 2014. “I really enjoy knitting because it gives me

Image via Max Pixel

focus and a sense of accomplishment.” She says it calms her racing thoughts and she enjoys being in the company of peers who are understanding and supportive. By November 2014, Briana became the facilitator for the knitting group, allowing her to do even more to support others in their journey to wellness. “I’m helping people become more calm and patient with themselves.” She’s been doing it ever since.

She didn’t stop there. Briana volunteers her time to train police to be supportive when they encounter people who experience hallucinations. “We typically talk about acknowledging the experience as real, because it’s real to them. To them, it’s not just happening in their head, it’s an experience that’s happening in real time.” Briana explains, “Stigma derives from not being understood. I try to create an atmosphere of understanding.”

By sharing her story and experiences, she builds empathy and knowledge that helps police officers understand how to de-escalate an unfamiliar and possibly frightening situation. “The police officers’ ability to make the person who’s feeling anxious from the voices feel safe is a great gift.” Briana explains “That’s my goal: to make the world a safer place for people who hear voices.”

We wanted to share Briana’s story because she embodies what the Mental Health Association’s peer-driven model is really all about. Her story isn’t just about recovery; it’s a story about living life to the fullest when you’re committed to mental wellness; it’s a story about having the strength to help others who are still facing their own challenges. Briana took her experiences and used them to foster understanding, support recovery, and build skills that promote mental health both inside and outside the Mental Health Association.

The work we do at the Mental Health Association wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of peers like Briana and the generosity of our donors that support them. 

You can support this work by donating using the form below. Please consider making a recurring monthly gift. This means you’ll make a fixed donation at the same time each month. This makes it easier for your gift to go further and gives the Mental Health Association a reliable source of funding for our services.