Mental health awareness week ends with community gathering in Rockford

Advocates, survivors, and community partners came together to provide information on available mental health resources and to showcase ‘Expressions of Recovery’ through creative means.

“A lot of people with a diagnosed mental illness feel like they don’t have a voice. And so we’re attempting to give people a voice today,” said Jeannette Towns, a recovery support specialist for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“I think that it helps to break up the stigma that people have about individuals who have a serious mental illness,” said Sue Schroeder, CEO of Stepping Stones of Rockford.

The event featured representatives from NAMI, Marshmellow’s Hope, and Rosecrance, who were all present to provide support and information.

Attendees were encouraged to share their personal stories through various forms of creative expression, including music, spoken word poetry, and art.

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