During the entire month of October 2020, TQC will be donating all of our tips to Brake the Silence. Read the interview below with Lindsay Mann from Brake the Silence. Please join us this month in supporting this great organization by leaving tips when checking out from TQC!
Tell us a little about your organization.
20% of Americans live with a mental health condition and, each year, suicide claims more than 40,000 lives in America. Brake the Silence, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support our community, offer scholarships to local schools, and fund programs through NAMI and the SHINE Initiative that will increase mental health awareness for suicide prevention.
What’s the mission of the organization?
We are committed to improving education and awareness of mental health for prevention of suicide.
Why is the work you do so important?
Brake the Silence supports NAMI Massachusetts’ work in schools across the state, including Allies for Student Mental Health (ASMH) and Ending the Silence (ETS). ASMH is a professional development program that provides K-12 teachers and staff with the information and resources they need to support the mental health needs of their students. ETS is a mental health awareness presentation that helps students in 6th-12th grade learn how to recognize the early warning signs of mental health conditions and what to do if they or someone they know is exhibiting these signs.
How will donations from TQC help this month? What specific things will donations support?
Each year, a large portion of the proceeds is donated to NAMI Mass. With NAMI, our donations have been used to fund programs and scholarships for the Allies for Student Mental Health program, which is a professional development program designed to help K-12 teachers, parents and school staff work as allies to identify and understand mental health conditions that can have significant impacts on students’ academic success and overall well-being. Additional funds go toward helping local families that are affected by suicide and offering scholarships to students at local schools.
How can someone get involved with your organization?
Help us fundraise by attending our annual fundraiser event every August (motorcycle run, great food, live music, and raffles!), become a t-shirt sponsor, buy merchandise, and advocate for programs like Allies for Student Mental Health at your local schools. With your support, we will continue to fund mental health programs throughout our state.
Why is Worcester and its community special to the organization?
Multiple Brake the Silence committee members have been personally affected by suicide, which was the reason this non-profit group was born 7 years ago. 100% of funds raised go to support programs to improve mental health education and awareness in Worcester county and across the Bay State.
