May is National Mental Health Month and in a celebration of support for the millions of people and their families who face the reality of living with a mental illness, a collection of local service organizations have teamed up to present “Music For Mental Health.”
Presented by the Maysville Commission on Human Rights in association with Comprehend, Inc., Buffalo Trace National Association On Mental Illness and Maysville Main Street, the free concert and commemorative gathering will take place at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 30 on the Second Street Mall.
The concert features Sarah Wood and Friends in selections of traditional, folk and old-time music. There is no admission charge and guests are asked to bring their own seats and treats. In case of rain, the gathering will take place at the Washington Opera House.
“We planned this gathering as a community-friendly event,” said Mike Thomas, chairman of the local human rights commission. “We thought by featuring music more people might be attracted to join others in fighting the stigma often connected to mental health.”
Additional sponsors for the event are Maysville Community and Technical College, the Women’s Crisis Center/Green Dot and the Washington Hall Sessions.
Statistics from the National Association on Mental Illness reveal that one in every five people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime.
“We work very hard to fight the stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families,” said Sharon Darnell, chairman of the local NAMI group. “We hope everyone takes the time to join us and show that they care about mental health.”
A statement issued by Mental Health America reveals that poor social support makes it harder to recover from mental illness, while a strong social support system improves overall outcomes and the ability to bounce back from stress and other related mental health issues.
The theme for 2019 is an expansion of the last year’s theme of #4Mind#4Body and takes it to the next level by exploring the topics of animal companionship, spirituality, humor, work-life balance and recreation and social connections as ways to boost mental health and general wellness.
“We chose to use music to bring people together in our area,” said David Green, a human rights commissioner and marketing director for Comprehend, Inc. “We look forward to having the community join us in recognizing and raising awareness about issues which affect is all.”
