Hi all!! Happy late summer, early fall!! The NAMI Walk is quickly approaching on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at noon. Have you got your team online yet? What about your team's t-shirt? Do you have a great design? How big is your team? Can you get it to grow and be the largest team this year? What about fund raising? Has each of your team members raised $100 so they can get a free NAMIWALKS t-shirt? So many questions...Easy answers! Do you have MORE questions? Just email Phill at namiwalks@namilex.org.
NAMI is so excited about our newest project called Participation Station! It is a peer run center where consumers in all stages of recovery can come to attend a educational class, attend an exercise class, listen to a speaker, or just hang out and enjoy a good cup of coffee. Our mission is to provide a program based environment that educates, empowers and enhances the lives of individuals moving towards recovery and mental wellness. What a great opportunity we have! Thank you Shannon Ware,CEO of Bluegrass, and the members of the Bluegrass Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board for the use of the space at the old Comprehensive Care Center on Mechanic Street in Lexington!
Personally, I have been doing very well. I still have my set backs, but overall I am doing well. I started taking a couple classes at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and I will be the Director of Participation Station. Whew! The therapy in Cincinnati called EMDR has changed my life! Thank you Dr. Hensley for everything!
We will need lots of volunteers for the new Participation Station, so if you would like to be involved with this awesome new project, just give us a call at (859) 272-7891 or email me at val@namilex.org and I'll hook you up.
SEE YOU AT THE WALK!!!
Val
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Happy Summer
Hi all! It's summertime and as the temperature gets hotter, so does the excitement at NAMI Lexington! We are gearing up for our Walk on Saturday, October 10, 2009. The next big event is the Kick off Luncheon on Friday, August 14th. It will be held at the Fayette County Extension Office in Lexington from 11:30am-1:00pm. This meeting is for anyone interested in getting involved and learning more about the upcoming Walk. Space is limited, so call our office at (859) 272-7891 to RSVP.
My biggest excitement this summer has been that Shannon Ware,CEO of Bluegrass, and Bluegrass Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board has granted us space for a peer support center (drop-in). We are calling it The Participation Station! This center will be located at the Comp Care Center on Mechanic Street in downtown Lexington. The current Comprehensive Care Center will be moving to the new Joseph A. Toy Center on Newtown Pike. We are expecting to have our grand opening on or around November 1st! This center will be consumer-run. This is a huge opportunity for consumers to help in their recovery. We plan to have alot of different support groups, bring in speakers, have art classes, have movie nights, and just enjoy participating in improving our quality of life. We are thinking about being open some in the evenings and weekends, when most consumers don't have much to keep them busy. I will keep you posted along the way as we get closer to our grand opening!
We have had a change of leadership at NAMI KY. Cathy Epperson, retired CEO of Adanta in Somerset, KY, is the acting executive director and we just elected new officers and board members at the Annual meeting this past weekend.
Personally, I have been having a great summer. I am planning on taking a couple of classes in the fall at Bluegrass Community & Technical College, my doctor has reduced and discontinued a couple of my medications because I have been doing so well, and I am almost finished with my EMDR therapy in Cincinnati, OH.
Keep checking back at this website and this blog for allthe goings on here at NAMI. We do alot and our activities are always growing. So stay tuned!!
My biggest excitement this summer has been that Shannon Ware,CEO of Bluegrass, and Bluegrass Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board has granted us space for a peer support center (drop-in). We are calling it The Participation Station! This center will be located at the Comp Care Center on Mechanic Street in downtown Lexington. The current Comprehensive Care Center will be moving to the new Joseph A. Toy Center on Newtown Pike. We are expecting to have our grand opening on or around November 1st! This center will be consumer-run. This is a huge opportunity for consumers to help in their recovery. We plan to have alot of different support groups, bring in speakers, have art classes, have movie nights, and just enjoy participating in improving our quality of life. We are thinking about being open some in the evenings and weekends, when most consumers don't have much to keep them busy. I will keep you posted along the way as we get closer to our grand opening!
We have had a change of leadership at NAMI KY. Cathy Epperson, retired CEO of Adanta in Somerset, KY, is the acting executive director and we just elected new officers and board members at the Annual meeting this past weekend.
Personally, I have been having a great summer. I am planning on taking a couple of classes in the fall at Bluegrass Community & Technical College, my doctor has reduced and discontinued a couple of my medications because I have been doing so well, and I am almost finished with my EMDR therapy in Cincinnati, OH.
Keep checking back at this website and this blog for allthe goings on here at NAMI. We do alot and our activities are always growing. So stay tuned!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I didn't realize that had it has been over a year since last you heard from me!!! I guess I had better let you know that this has been an exciting year for me. As the Outreach Coordinator for NAMI Lexington, it has been an exhilarating year. Our work began in advocating for the replacement of Eastern State Hospital. The ESH Town Hall Meeting as well as the days spent in Frankfort, talking to the legislators, was indeed a learning experience. In the midst of all that, I got married in April! Wow, the time has really flown...8 months have passed and my husband Ralph is right there advocating with me. We have so many things to be thankful for.
I am looking forward to the Blue Christmas, Santuary for the Soul, that is happening this Sunday, Dec. 21st at 5 p.m. The interfaith service is open to everyone. This wonderful event is being co-sponsored by Central Christian Church, Short Street, Lexington in the main sanctuary.
Along those lines, I would like to share a message that I wrote...
I am looking forward to the Blue Christmas, Santuary for the Soul, that is happening this Sunday, Dec. 21st at 5 p.m. The interfaith service is open to everyone. This wonderful event is being co-sponsored by Central Christian Church, Short Street, Lexington in the main sanctuary.
Along those lines, I would like to share a message that I wrote...
A BLUE CHRISTMAS, THE DARK NIGHT OF MY SOUL
Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your trust and hope in God! Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD sees you through them all! Inspired by Psalm 34
A Blue Christmas, the dark night of my soul is the thought that came to me as I reflected on my journey. Winter solstice is the longest night of the year. Winter sets in and the darkness of being alone, without loved ones you cherished and held dear comes to call. The last thing you want someone to tell you is “Snap out of it! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and pray harder!” Sometimes, it is okay to allow yourself to feel the pain and experience the losses without any expectation.
As a Believer in the Jesus Way, my hope is truly built on His love for me. The only way I can begin to receive His love is when I study His word and see what He has in store for me.
The Creator of the universe loved me so much that He came in the form of a baby by humbling himself and being born in a manager because there was no room in the inn. Rejection…plain and simple…literally from the cradle to the grave…without anywhere to be born or later to be buried; Jesus was clearly my example of how to handle the emotions that come when you are dealing with major life changes.
The longest night of the soul for Christ Jesus, came in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he went to the Mount of Olivet and prayed. He asked Father to take this cup of sorrow from him; yet He prayed, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He submitted His will to Father and died for my sins and yours upon a tree.
Although I have had many dark days due to major depression, my soul is now at peace as I realize ALL things have worked together for my good because I love the LORD, have asked Him to be the Master of my life and trust by faith that I am forgiven!
Prayer: Father, help me to realize today how much you love me and how much you care for me. Thank you for coming into the world and dying for me to have eternal life with you forever. Amen.
Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your trust and hope in God! Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD sees you through them all! Inspired by Psalm 34
A Blue Christmas, the dark night of my soul is the thought that came to me as I reflected on my journey. Winter solstice is the longest night of the year. Winter sets in and the darkness of being alone, without loved ones you cherished and held dear comes to call. The last thing you want someone to tell you is “Snap out of it! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and pray harder!” Sometimes, it is okay to allow yourself to feel the pain and experience the losses without any expectation.
As a Believer in the Jesus Way, my hope is truly built on His love for me. The only way I can begin to receive His love is when I study His word and see what He has in store for me.
The Creator of the universe loved me so much that He came in the form of a baby by humbling himself and being born in a manager because there was no room in the inn. Rejection…plain and simple…literally from the cradle to the grave…without anywhere to be born or later to be buried; Jesus was clearly my example of how to handle the emotions that come when you are dealing with major life changes.
The longest night of the soul for Christ Jesus, came in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he went to the Mount of Olivet and prayed. He asked Father to take this cup of sorrow from him; yet He prayed, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He submitted His will to Father and died for my sins and yours upon a tree.
Although I have had many dark days due to major depression, my soul is now at peace as I realize ALL things have worked together for my good because I love the LORD, have asked Him to be the Master of my life and trust by faith that I am forgiven!
Prayer: Father, help me to realize today how much you love me and how much you care for me. Thank you for coming into the world and dying for me to have eternal life with you forever. Amen.
It is my hope for you to have a blessed and prosperous 2009! Please support us in the work that still needs to be done for those without a voice...No Stigma, Know More, Know NAMI!!!
Blessings, Yondi and Family
Christmas presents
We have a great Christmas present in the mental health community! Bluegrass MH/MR announced last week that Shannon Ware has been appointed as the new President and CEO of Bluegrass!!! We look forward to working with her to achieve our goal of getting a new state of the art hospital.
As for me, I am getting a Christmas present in the form of the Blue Christmas service that I discussed in my previous post. I look forward to getting away from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and "resting my soul" for a little while. We are planning a very special service so I hope all of you can join us.
How about that snow this morning? Snow AND ice I should say. I love to be inside watching the snow and not having to drive in it. Be careful out there! The weatherman is forcasting snow on Sunday for our service, but we will still be there as long as the roads aren't too bad. We'll keep you posted.
I'd like to say a special thank you to all our volunteers who have helped us with all our events this past year. Without you NAMI Lexington would never get anything done! YOU GUYS ROCK!
I would also like to thanks to Kelly Gunning, our Executive Director and "fearless leader" for all her dedication to our cause. Without her leadership, NAMI Lexington would not be where it is today. As part of her staff, I just wanted to say thank you to her for supporting me and all the other consumers out there that aren't able to say thank you because of their circumstances.
Thanks also go out the awesome staff I work with. Angelina, Joy, Yondi, Phill, Mama Faye and Gina make everything run so smoothly behind the scenes.
Alright, I got a bit mushy, but I think it needed to be said considering this is the end of a great year for us.
Always remember with NAMI Lexington, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Merry Christmas and a marvelous New Year to each and every one of you!
As for me, I am getting a Christmas present in the form of the Blue Christmas service that I discussed in my previous post. I look forward to getting away from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and "resting my soul" for a little while. We are planning a very special service so I hope all of you can join us.
How about that snow this morning? Snow AND ice I should say. I love to be inside watching the snow and not having to drive in it. Be careful out there! The weatherman is forcasting snow on Sunday for our service, but we will still be there as long as the roads aren't too bad. We'll keep you posted.
I'd like to say a special thank you to all our volunteers who have helped us with all our events this past year. Without you NAMI Lexington would never get anything done! YOU GUYS ROCK!
I would also like to thanks to Kelly Gunning, our Executive Director and "fearless leader" for all her dedication to our cause. Without her leadership, NAMI Lexington would not be where it is today. As part of her staff, I just wanted to say thank you to her for supporting me and all the other consumers out there that aren't able to say thank you because of their circumstances.
Thanks also go out the awesome staff I work with. Angelina, Joy, Yondi, Phill, Mama Faye and Gina make everything run so smoothly behind the scenes.
Alright, I got a bit mushy, but I think it needed to be said considering this is the end of a great year for us.
Always remember with NAMI Lexington, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Merry Christmas and a marvelous New Year to each and every one of you!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Christmas time is ALMOST here!
It's been a while since my last post so I wanted to bring you all up to speed. We had a great Walk! We had over 1,100 people there and I know everyone had a great time.
We also had our annual Heroes in the Fight Awards. The Governor and the First Lady were there to receive the Wings Award and Joe Toy, CEO of Bluegrass Mental Health was there to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you to both of them for their committment to improving the lives of us living with mental illnesses.
As for the new hospital, it is moving along smoothly. The RFP came out recently giving us some more information about how many beds may be in the hospital. We are very excited about that. There are several more steps until we break ground but our dream is getting closer and closer! I'll keep you posted.
Right now, we are gearing up for our Annual Blue Christmas Service that will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 5:00pm at Central Christian Church in Lexington. This service is for anyone feeling isolated, lonely, sad, grieving, hurt, overwelmed or empty. We ask that you come to this special service to "Rest your soul."
Our Annual Consumer/Family Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 2:30pm-4:00pm at the Faye Morton Consumer and Family Center on the grounds of Eastern State Hospital. We will have lots of good food and fun. We will also have a brief business meeting to elect new officers to our NAMI Lexington Board of Directors for 2009-2010. So all NAMI members please try to attend.
As for me, personally, I have begun a new therapy called EMDR (eye movement desensitization & reprossessing). I am seeing Dr. Barbara Hensley in Cincinnati for this specialized form of therapy. It is for trauma survivors. I have had significant childhood trauma. This treatment seems to be working!! I am so excited that I have found something that actually seems to be treating the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. If you are interested in more information on this life changing therapy please email me at blind.justice@insightbb.com.
Hopefully, I will get to post before Christmas but if not, have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!!!
We also had our annual Heroes in the Fight Awards. The Governor and the First Lady were there to receive the Wings Award and Joe Toy, CEO of Bluegrass Mental Health was there to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you to both of them for their committment to improving the lives of us living with mental illnesses.
As for the new hospital, it is moving along smoothly. The RFP came out recently giving us some more information about how many beds may be in the hospital. We are very excited about that. There are several more steps until we break ground but our dream is getting closer and closer! I'll keep you posted.
Right now, we are gearing up for our Annual Blue Christmas Service that will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 5:00pm at Central Christian Church in Lexington. This service is for anyone feeling isolated, lonely, sad, grieving, hurt, overwelmed or empty. We ask that you come to this special service to "Rest your soul."
Our Annual Consumer/Family Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 2:30pm-4:00pm at the Faye Morton Consumer and Family Center on the grounds of Eastern State Hospital. We will have lots of good food and fun. We will also have a brief business meeting to elect new officers to our NAMI Lexington Board of Directors for 2009-2010. So all NAMI members please try to attend.
As for me, personally, I have begun a new therapy called EMDR (eye movement desensitization & reprossessing). I am seeing Dr. Barbara Hensley in Cincinnati for this specialized form of therapy. It is for trauma survivors. I have had significant childhood trauma. This treatment seems to be working!! I am so excited that I have found something that actually seems to be treating the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. If you are interested in more information on this life changing therapy please email me at blind.justice@insightbb.com.
Hopefully, I will get to post before Christmas but if not, have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Kick Off the Walk & Roll at the Cabaret!
Come join us on 8-8-08 for our annual Kick off for the Walk event. This year we will be having a Cabaret theme. The party will be held in the courtyard at Bluegrass MH/MR Regional Office on Newtown Pike (we ask that you use the Citation Blvd. entrance) under big tents from 7pm-11pm. We will have The Bats performing their Cabaret to Rock n Roll type of entertainment for all the party goers. They promise that you will have a great time and so do we! We will be having great food and drinks and a cash bar catered by the Saute' Cafe' as well. So come out and party with us and we will see you there!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Out of the Shadows on KET
There is a new special available for online viewing at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/depression/video-ch_01.html KET has produced this wonderful program. Jane Pauley is also involved with this project. Go check this one out also!!!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/depression/video-ch_01.html KET has produced this wonderful program. Jane Pauley is also involved with this project. Go check this one out also!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)