Outreach and Education
In March 2021, Mind Yourself March brought together Irish organizations and community members to share ideas and information to help us all take better care of ourselves and each other.
The global Covid-19 pandemic left just about everyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or exhausted. Community is key to wellness, so we created Mind Yourself March to bring together Irish organizations and community members to share ideas and information to help us all take better care of ourselves and each other.
Mind Yourself March shared personals stories for community members, mindfulness and exercise classes, and trainings and awareness events.
Understanding the shame that exists around mental health issues and how this stigma makes it difficult for people to talk to their friends, family and co-workers about mental health , we created HeadTalk to empower the Irish community to reach out to one another.
A 2017 study by University College Dublin, revealed that mental health issues were a concern for Chicago's Irish community.
In response, Irish Community Services launched HeadTalk—a year-long education campaign focusing on mental wellness and designed to kick-start a community-wide conversation. We created a monthly article in the Irish American News Magazine highlighting different aspects of mental health issues and where to find support. We contributed to monthly HeadTalk segment on the Good Morning Ireland radio show. The resources that were developed as part of the HeadTalk initiative can be accessed below.
