Thank you for your support to help raise Mental Health Awareness, to provide accessible self-help resources, to assist with cost for therapy, offer scholarships for the Mental Health First Aid course & certification, and advocate among policy makers on national, state and local levels. Your support is appreciated. 

 

World Mental Health Day is observed every year in October with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health wellness and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. In the U.S., every year, approximately 45,000 people die by suicide according to CDC. Coupled with the challenges of covid-19, mental health conditions are at an all time high, especially impacting our youth.

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In 2016, on October 28, my twin, Aaren, aka “Bee”, completed suicide. He battled with depression and PTSD. It is my desire to build greater awareness of mental health and PTSD in memory of Aaren and others who have died by suicide.

 

In our family, Aaren was considered "the life of the party." He loved family and his children. His out going personality was like a magnet and people were drawn into his circle of friends. In High School he was a star basketball player and held the state record in track and field for years. As an avid jogger, he could jog for miles.  He loved to sing and could play about any instrument, from the trumpet to the piano. Aaren never took a piano lesson. We'll never forget the day he heard a classical song and sat at the piano and played it "from ear." He was the acclaimed genius out of me and my other siblings. Graduating with honors from High School, we attended Southern University together. Actually, from kindergarten to college, we took all classes together. Technology intrigued Aaren and he published QR codes and developed Virtual Reality (VR) programs before it all became popular. Aaren, a very giving person, "never met a stranger." He would literally give the shirt on his back to a person in need. To know my brother, Bee, you would know he would want us to “Bee the ONE to Help Someone” by raising awareness to combat mental health challenges…starting in our homes, churches, schools, and in as many neighborhoods as possible.

 

Please join our TeamBee. Annually, we start the awareness fundraiser event on October 18th and finish October 28th. The Neighborhood Mental Health Awareness 5k  is a Virtual-Flex-Time "5k Your Own Way" that allows you to participate during the 10-day time frame at a convenient time, pace and place. Registrants run, walk, sprint, jog, dance, treadmill, stroll, bike and some buzz like a Bee to their own finish line. Many form teams and register family, friends and colleagues to increase awareness. Some complete the 5k, some don't and that's ok because the objective is to raise awareness. The support received helps to increase Mental Health awareness and to say to someone they are not alone. Together, let's run the race for a culture of mental health awareness. Together, we win!

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Thank you, 

Lauren "Lalu" B.

 

#TeamBee  

#StingTheStigmas

#BeeThe1ToHelpSomeone