On March 25, Goodwill Central Coast will team up with The ALS Association Golden West Chapter to raise Money, Awareness

On Wednesday, March 25, every Goodwill Central Coast store location will donate and match (up to $1,000 total) all round-up dollar proceeds.

Agoura Hills, CA, March 10, 2020 - Although the past few years have seen exciting research advancements, there is still no cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gerhig’s Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

To help further this important cause, Goodwill Central Coast will team up with The ALS Association Golden West Chapter to raise both funds and awareness.

On Wednesday, March 25, every Goodwill Central Coast store location will donate and match (up to $1,000 total) all round-up dollar proceeds. Money raised will benefit the Golden West Chapter's Walk to Defeat ALS, with upcoming local events on Saturday, April 4 in San Luis Obispo and Saturday, October 3 in Monterey. These annual community outreach events are critical awareness and fundraising components that fuel the Chapter’s efforts in research, care services, and public policy initiatives to benefit the ALS community of the Central Coast.

On Wednesday, March 25, The ALS Association Golden West Chapter will have representatives at the Capitola, Salinas and San Luis Obispo Higuera locations from 5-7 p.m. For more information about ALS or how you can get involved, visit www.alsagoldenwest.org, or email info@alsagoldenwest.org. You can also sign up or donate to the Walk to Defeat ALS at walks.alsagoldenwest.org.

About Goodwill Central Coast
Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs more than 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 9,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

About The ALS Association Golden West Chapter
The mission of The ALS Association is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. Our vision is to create a world without ALS. The Golden West Chapter serves people with ALS and their families in 31 counties throughout California and in the state of Hawaii. Everything we do advances the search for effective treatments and cures for ALS. For more information about ALS and The ALS Association Golden West Chapter, please visit our website at www.alsagoldenwest.org or email us at info@alsagoldenwest.org. You can also find us across social media channels at @alsagoldenwest.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.alsagoldenwest.org

Interim Inc. Hopes to Spur Change, Raise Awareness During Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July

Every year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition.

Monterey, CA, July 04, 2018 — Every year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. But background and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult because mental health doesn’t discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity.

With that in mind Monterey private nonprofit organization Interim Inc. is encouraging improvements in the country’s mental health system, especially when it comes to marginalized communities, and raising awareness of the issue by supporting July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, which was established in 2008 to start changing this.

Interim is the only agency in Monterey County dedicated to supporting adults with mental illness by providing affordable housing, residential treatment, social rehabilitation services, homeless outreach and support, family outreach, and supported education and employment services.

In May of 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Maryland) and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group to achieve two goals:

>Improve access to mental health treatment and services and

>Promote public awareness of mental illness

When trying to access treatment, marginalized communities have to contend with such issues as:

>Barriers to access to treatment

Language barriers

>Lack of cultural competence

>Racism, bias and discrimination in treatment settings

>Lower-quality care

>Lower likelihood of health insurance or adequate coverage

> The high level of mental health stigma in minority populations

> Belief that treatment will not help

These are all in addition to the usual roadblocks.

“Many cultures also view mental health treatment as a luxury, considering symptoms a ‘phase’ that will eventually pass,” writes Laura Greenstein, communications coordinator at National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “These harmful perceptions of mental illness can further isolate individuals who desperately need help.

“We can all help ignite change against these disparities and fight stigma this Minority Mental Health Awareness Month,” she adds. “It simply starts with learning more about mental health and informing your community.”

Some of the ways an individual can get involved and help change the system according to Greenstein include:

>Consider Giving A Presentation

The more we talk about mental illness, the more normalized it will become.

>Emphasize Treatment

Make sure to stress the importance of a culturally competent provider. These mental health professionals, such as the services offered by Interim, integrate your beliefs and values into treatment.

>Share Your Story

When a person experiences symptoms of mental illness, one of the most helpful and comforting feelings is knowing that they’re not alone. It can be incredibly reassuring to know in this moment right now, someone else is going through similar struggles as you are—regardless of where they are, who they are, or how they identify.

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and stop stigma in diverse communities. It’s time to improve the harsh realities minority communities face when it comes to mental illness treatment. In fact, it’s long overdue.

About Bebe Moore Campbell
Campbell was an author, advocate, co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and national spokesperson, who passed away in November 2006.

She received NAMI's 2003 Outstanding Media Award for Literature. Campbell advocated for mental health education and support among individuals of diverse communities.

In 2005, inspired by Campbell’s charge to end stigma and provide mental health information, longtime friend Linda Wharton-Boyd suggested dedicating a month to the effort.

The duo got to work, outlining the concept of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and what it would entail. With the support of the D.C. Department of Mental Health and then-mayor Anthony Williams, they held a news conference in Southeast D.C., where they encouraged residents to get mental health checkups.

Support continued to build as Campbell and Wharton-Boyd held book signings, spoke in churches and created a National Minority Mental Health Taskforce of friends and allies. However, the effort came to a halt when Campbell became too ill to continue.

When Campbell lost her battle to cancer, Wharton-Boyd, friends, family and allied advocates reignited their cause, inspired by the passion of the life of an extraordinary woman.

The group researched and obtained the support of Representatives Albert Wynn (D-Maryland) and Diane Watson (D-California), who co-signed legislation to create an official minority mental health awareness month.

About Interim Inc.
Interim, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization that provides a unique combination of support services, housing and social rehabilitation treatment for adults with mental illness in Monterey County. Services provided include affordable supportive housing, residential treatment, mental health and dual-recovery services, case coordination, therapeutic services, outreach and intensive support for homeless adults, supported education and employment, day treatment and peer support.

Interim Inc.
P.O. Box 3222
Monterey, CA 93942
(831) 649-4522
www.interiminc.org

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.interiminc.org