Connected To Lead

We successfully facilitated our Youth LEAD program for youth ages 13-21. The program engaged youth in leadership development, substance use disorder, and mental health stigmas reduction. Youth used various art mediums to create the substance use disorder and mental health campaigns to engage their peers, families, and communities. This funding allowed us to hire our Executive Director, Associate Director, and Clinical Director. Through Youth WORK program funding we were able to hire our Program Coordinator. We developed the curriculum for the program, which engages youth ages 16-21 in leadership, professional development, and financial literacy. Following the program, youth can interview to receive a paid internship for 10-weeks. We received funding for our Mental Health Matters programming, which included a leadership and mental health program for providers, I Am Worthy program for middle school girls and women, and engaging mental health activities for youth, families, and communities. Our events and programming were rooted in impact and it showed. We exceeded the number of people we planned to engage reaching 850+, shared a plethora of resources, and had conversations with attendees regarding their experiences and next steps for their mental health journeys. Our approach was creative and engaged attendees in different ways to receive and process the information. We incorporated experiential learning through grounding and breathing exercises, meditation, and practicing mindfulness. We encouraged connection with people from all walks of life and were able do it in memorable ways. Bowling for Mental Health and Community Game Night for Mental Health incorporated activities that people normally do, but emphasized mental health and explored seeking services. One of our biggest challenges was securing locations for all of our events. Though we had an initial agreement with one of our partner cities, they began charging us for space when they learned that we received this grant. We didn't get discouraged - we pivoted. We shifted some of our planned activities, covered the costs for space, and facilitated impactful programming. We changed dates that needed to be changed and looked for new locations when available. We received funding to provide personal and professional development funding to nonprofit professionals of color. This year we funded five people.