By Debi Gillette, Director of Development
May is National Mental Health Month, and there has never been a better time to talk about mental health and for ITA to say thank you to those whose generosity has empowered ITA as we seek to achieve our vision for a world where limits are transcended and possibilities are expanded.
This month we celebrate our community partners and our clients who so bravely turn to ITA for care during their most private times of need. The need for mental health care is skyrocketing, as society grapples with deep challenges and stressors. The pandemic has affected everyone and their families differently, and research shows it’s played a major role in the problem of anxiety and depression.
Looking at statists from 2021, the Mental Health Foundation found that 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness, almost 1 in 25 adults live with a serious mental illness, and 50% of chronic mental illness start before 14 years of age. But I trust that you already have a strong sense of statistics such as these. And, inflation and the high cost of living and the war in Ukraine have certainly heightened the stress we’re all experiencing.
So what’s the good news? The good news is that ITA is here to help and, thanks to our donors like the VNA Foundation and the Feltheimer Family Foundation, we are here to stay.
Won’t you please step forward like they did, and make a gift to ITA so that we can continue our life-changing, life-saving work? Whether you are a returning donor to ITA or have never made a gift, May is a beautiful time to talk about mental health and show your support. Please go to www.itachicago.org/give and help us achieve our mission to empower individuals, families and communities to grow and heal through advanced approaches in Creative Arts Therapy.