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This May our school district is once again hosting a mental health resource fair and presentations for the benefit of students and adults in our community. These nights are an important event since mental illness affects large amounts of teenagers and families each year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, twenty percent of youth 13 to 18 live with a mental health condition and suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth ages 10 to 24. In the fall, at the student exclusive presentations, more than 500 students were in attendance across all grade levels. At the start of the school year, our Interact club members reevaluated what our values for the year would be. Many members agreed that mental health in our community should continue to be one of our main focuses.
Our members would like to assist the committee behind these events in raising money for food and supplies for attendees. The committee supplies food for those that attend to encourage a large turnout. Supplies include small journals, arts and craft materials, healthy snacks, and school decorations for daily activities the school will be hosting to encourage student attendance and conversation. The budget for food and supplies would be greater than $750 dollars for this event since it's such a consistently well-attended night. The $750 dollars this grant would allow us to pay for a good portion of our supplies.
Throughout the rest of March and the month of April, our club will raise funds up to $250 dollars. Partnering with local businesses and pledging service hours would help us reach our goal quickly. The $250 dollars our Interact club raises will be spent on supplies for daily activities during the week of May 20th, while the other $500 dollars will be spent on food for participants. Members will participate in the week leading up to the event, which is hosted on May 23rd, by organizing activities that promote student attendance such as dress-up days and posting flyers around campus to catch their attention. Members are also going to hand out stickers to middle school and high school students, also in hopes to attract attendees.
This event can save lives and prevent further tragedy much like the loss of a Windsor High School student to suicide in 2016. Our Windsor community has been greatly affected by mental illness and these nights offer hope and important information. Thank you for your consideration.
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