NAMI Four County has sponsored free Mental Health First Aid classes for more than six years. Before COVID restrictions, 24 to 32 persons typically completed each class; however, this fall the classes have been limited to a maximum of eight participants and face coverings are required when physical distancing isn’t possible during some of the class exercises. To allow as many persons as possible to complete the all-day training, NAMI has sponsored four trainings this fall – three have been youth-focused and one in early December will be adult-focused. This is the October class, which included a bank professional, teacher, CASA volunteer, law enforcement, a chaplain, a board of developmental disabilities employee, and a representative from a suicide awareness group.
Because of the pandemic, NAMI Four County’s annual spaghetti dinner, its largest fundraiser of the year, has become a virtual event culminating on Giving Tuesday, December 1.
The dinner typically raises about $7,000 to support NAMI’s free community mental health education classes, trainings and support groups for family members and friends of persons living with a mental health condition.
Although the pandemic caused a suspension of in-person trainings and support group meetings earlier this year, classes and group meetings resumed in the fall with limitations on the number of persons who could participate to assure physical distancing. Virtual support group meetings have been added using NAMI’s Zoom meeting account.
Plans are being made to further expand NAMI’s programming in 2021 – both to make peer facilitated support group access more convenient across the four county area and to offer suicide awareness trainings to parents of school-age youth.
All NAMI-sponsored programming and groups are offered at no cost to anyone who wishes to participate.
NAMI Four County is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest advocacy organization for individuals living with a mental health condition, their family and friends.
“This year’s virtual spaghetti dinner fund raiser is planned to give community members who want to support NAMI’s mission an opportunity to do so,” said Lou Levy, the group’s secretary. “We fully intend to hold an actual spaghetti dinner with raffles next November.”
Persons who wish to donate have three easy ways to give to NAMI Four County, Levy explained.
Checks payable to NAMI Four County can be mailed to the group’s treasurer Nathen Henricks, 9147 State Route 34, Bryan, Ohio 43506. PayPal donations can be made on NAMI’s website: www.namifourcounty.org. And, donations can also be made on Facebook.
More information about NAMI Four County is available on its website: www.namifourcounty.org. And, for those who are active on social media, they can like NAMI on Facebook@namifourcounty, follow NAMI on Instagram@nami4county or follow NAMI on Twitter@nami4county.
Sixteen area businesses and organizations are sponsors of this year’s Virtual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser, including….
Presenting Sponsors: C & C Fabrication, LLC, Fulton County Health Center, Jade Shank Trucking, Newcomer Shaffer Spangler Breininger and Rakes, Premier Bank, Shank Concrete, LLC, Spangler Candy Company, and Team Green Recycling, LLC.
Gold Sponsors: F & M State Bank and Jim Schmidt Family Dealership.
Silver Sponsors: Ken’s Furniture and Mattress Center, Premier Wealth, R + S Lines, Rupp Rosebrock Inc., and UAW Local 211.
Bronze Sponsor: Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales, LLC.