Join the community during Mental Health Awareness Month in creating a Stigma Free Fishers through events, community stories, and educational opportunities all month long. Learn more at thisisfishers.com/MentalHealthMonth and share how you are bringing awareness to mental health and creating a #StigmaFreeFishers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Around Fishers, there are many clubs and organizations working on mental health awareness all year round. One organization is the Bring Change to Mind Club, which has been a space for students to have a part in mental health awareness and education since 2016. The club has chapters at both Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers High Schools, and normally has around 150 members between both schools. The club says their goal is to “reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness by empowering students to educate one another, and their communities, and to create a culture of understanding and empathy when it comes to mental health.”
Though the clubs have a national sponsor, the events they hold are generally focused at a community level. In the past, the clubs have created stress-free events during finals time to help students relax. At schools, they have also made “mental health first aid kits” for teachers and posted positive reminders around the school.
Throughout the community, Bring Change to Mind has been involved in events like Play for Peyton, Night of Hope, SHIFT, and of course, Hope for Happiness. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has made usual club activities harder to perform but they have still been meeting regularly over Zoom. The virtual meetings have focused more on education on mental health and have included some guest speakers. In preparation for Hope for Happiness, the clubs have finally begun meeting in person again.
Hope for Happiness is on Friday, May 14 from 6 – 9 p.m. at Brooks School Park, followed by Fishers Parks’ first Movie in the Park of the season starting at 9 p.m and featuring the movie Onward. The event is being organized by Fishers and HSE High Schools’ Bring Change to Mind clubs.
The event will include mental health activities, food trucks, and will aim to renew connectivity after many months of separation. This year’s event will focus on bringing the community back together to rally around mental wellness. The student clubs say they’ve been working hard “securing vendors, planning activities for the evening, and brainstorming ways to advertise the event, and hope in general.”
Cassidy Robertson is a former Community Engagement and PR Intern for the City of Fishers. She enjoys shopping and eating local in downtown Fishers, and in her spare time, she loves working on puzzles and reading a good book. She also enjoys playing with her three dogs and loves watching Fishers continue to develop both as an economic and social hub.