Help Samantha raise money

Help Us Change the Conversation: Support Mental Health Awareness and Erase the Stigma 

As a Mother-Daughter Team, we are proud to be running this year’s Falmouth Road Race on behalf of Mental Health Collaborative. MHC actively works in our schools and communities to build resilience through educational programs. By increasing awareness and decreasing stigma, MHC gives kids and communities the skills they need to thrive. 

Parents go to great lengths to protect their kids. Seatbelts and bike helmets are required by law, academic goals are supported by teachers and tutors, and sports safety is addressed with proper equipment and strict rules. Yet when it comes to mental health, our schools and communities often lack clear guidelines or tools to educate and protect kids, teens, and college-aged students from mental health struggles. We want to change that. Mental health and physical health are tightly intertwined. We hope that someday, there will be just as much mental health education as there is physical health education.

We are often unsure how to talk to our kids about anxiety, depression, or emotional health concerns. Many of us, throughout our communities, lack education on how to recognize signs or spark conversations to check in on our kids or friends. Through education, we can change this. Kids themselves don’t necessarily know how to define, identify, or approach anxiety or emotional wellness. Kids feel comfortable stating their knee hurts when it gets scraped. But when it comes to a painful mental struggle, they often suffer in silence, afraid to reach out because of stigma and misunderstanding.  Education and outreach for students of all ages will change lives. 

As a mother-daughter duo, we are two generations united by one mission: to raise a combined goal of $2,500 to support MHC’s important work in providing literacy and changing the conversation around mental health. We believe knowledge is power, and every kid should benefit from that power.

Thanks for helping us go the extra mile together!!! 

Love, 

April & Sam Galanek