Thank you for supporting the mentally ill in Spalding
Dear Editor,
As a mental health patient and advocate, as well as someone who spearheads a number of initiatives on behalf of the mentally ill within the communities of Spalding and its environs, I would love to express deep appreciation towards the Spalding Citizens’ Association and Kiwanis Club of Spalding for their continued support towards the community of the mentally ill within this region.
It is an open secret that initiatives around mental illness within our society are not the most attractive due to the stigma which clouds our ailment. Therefore, when service clubs and individuals take an interest and invest in us as a community, I think we, mental health patients, should show our appreciation.
The Spalding Citizen’s Association and the Kiwanis Club of Spalding have bought into the idea of community mental health, and the institutions and individuals within the community play an active role in the lives of the mentally ill through projects and programmes, irrespective of the smallness or incremental nature of these initiatives.
As a member of both the Spalding Citizens’ Association and the Kiwanis Club, as well as a mental health patient, I could not be more proud of these two organisations.
On behalf of the community of the mentally ill, I would like to raise a toast to the Spalding Citizens’ Association and the Kiwanis Club of Spalding for embracing a supportive, expansive, and progressive mindset towards the community of the mentally ill.
Indeed, if we are going to win the fight against stigma, prejudice, and discrimination towards this demographic, we will need this kind of support. Also, let us remind ourselves that sickness does not discriminate and anyone can become mentally ill regardless of our station in life.
The word is always love!
Andre Wellington
Mental Health Patient and Advocate
Christiana, Manchester
andrewellington344@yahoo.com