NAMI Mercer News for May 28, 2003

NAMI Mercer joins NAMIWALKS, May 18

NAMI Mercer members and friends turned out in force to join the nearly 2,000 people who took part in NAMIWAlKS New Jersey, May 18. The Just Friends group designed the T-shirts, made hoagies and provided drinks and cookies. A number of local organizations donated the food and drink.

Following is an excerpt from Stephen Row's May 19 article in the Trentonian: Organized by NAMI (The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), yesterday’s walkathon in Westampton Township, Burlington County was one of 12 such walks nationwide.

"This is an opportunity for the entire mental health community of New Jersey to walk together -- to reach out to families, friends, colleagues, fellow workers, agencies, businesses and the community," NAMI New Jersey Executive Director Sylvia Axelrod said.

"... it will have a great impact in creating awareness and de-stigmatizing mental illness."

Many of the walkers were mental health consumers (people who suffer from a mental illness) and mental health professionals.

State Sen. Diane Allen kicked off the walk with a proclamation declaring that because: "the devastating effects of mental illness impact nearly 20 percent" of the population and "educating (the public) is vital ... for treatment" that the Senate recognizes the walk.

Several corporations were sponsors, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Yardville National Bank, Shop Rite, Mobil Corp., Nationwide Petroleum Realty, Inc. and The Trentonian.

Also offering their support were many of New Jersey’s mental health suppliers, including University Behavioral Healthcare, Catholic Charities, Greater Trenton Behavioral Healthcare and Drenk Behavioral Health Center.

But by far the biggest contingent were the families, the caregivers who often have to bear the lion’s share of responsibility in caring for the mentally ill.

They were there, not merely to gain support for their loved ones, but to root for those they claim have fought against and in many cases overcome mental illness -- an invisible but debilitating handicap which many in the general public continue to misunderstand.

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