Month: May 2015

Items being collected for school supply drive

United Way of Wyandotte County and the Back to School Fair Committee have joined together to hold the “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive for the annual Days of Action.

Set for June 21-July 21, Stuff the Bus collects donated school supplies to be packed in book bags and provided to students in need so they can start the school year ready to learn.

Last year, 5,000 Wyandotte County students received bags filled with these much needed supplies at the Back to School Fair and through Wyandotte County schools.

There are many ways individuals and organizations can get involved with Stuff the Bus: conduct a drive at a business, church, youth or civic groups; collect monetary donations or gift cards to purchase supplies; volunteer to work the Back to School Fair on Aug. 1. Colleagues may work together for a meaningful cause. Along with helping to ensure kids start school successfully, they will raise awareness about the critical need for school supplies.

To sign up to hold a drive, make a donation or learn more, contact Cathi Hahner at 913-374-3674, Ext. 1308, or [email protected].

– Story from Cathi Hahner, director of volunteer services, Volunteer Center and RSVP, United Way of Wyandotte County

Kansas City launches Mental Health Month

Kansas City’s mental health community launched Mental Health Month today with a single objective: to encourage everyone in the metropolitan community to talk about mental health.

During a 1-hour event at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, Marsha Morgan, COO of Truman Behavioral Health and the president of the Metropolitan Council of Community Mental Health Centers, urged everyone to be as comfortable discussing their mental health as their physical health.

“If you feel a cold or a fever coming on, or even if you’ve just been diagnosed with heart disease, chances are pretty good you’d feel comfortable telling a spouse or a colleague,” Morgan said. “But not everyone is comfortable talking about the emotional distress they’re having, or about how they’ve been feeling depressed or anxious.“

The need for having this conversation is great. Left untreated, mental illness exacts an enormous human and economic toll. Suicide remains one of the top 10 causes of death in the nation, and, according to a study conducted by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the economic toll of untreated mental illness in metropolitan Kansas City is $624 million.

The event featured speakers who drew attention to the different approaches individuals can take to start their own conversations about mental health. Former Chiefs player, Anthony Davis, spoke about his experiences living with depression and the important role friends and family play in helping people with mental illness recover. Other topics included: suicide awareness, the impact of trauma on mental health, Mental Health First Aid, and a new initiative called “Text, Talk, Act,” a way to prompt conversations about mental health among teens and young adults. Also speaking at the event were representatives with the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition, which crafted the “It’s Ok to Talk” message as part of an ongoing campaign to fight the stigma associated with mental illness.

Today’s event kicked off a month of activities that will be taking place throughout the metro. For a calendar of those events, go to http://www.mentalhealthkc.org/news.

For more information about mental health in the area, visit:
Metropolitan Council of Community Mental Health Centers: www.mentalhealthkc.org

Mental Health America of the Heartland: www.mhah.org

Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition: www.itsok.us

Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City: www.hcfgkc.org/costs-untreated-mental-illness

– Story from Mark Wiebe, director of public affairs, Wyandot Inc.