What Did Our Volunteers Do in 2018?
Maybe you know that all of our community programs are led by volunteers, but what did our volunteers actually DO this year? I’m so glad you asked!
With the start of a new year, I’ve been looking back over everything our amazing volunteers did in 2018 and I’d love to highlight some of their accomplishments. As NAMI Seattle’s Program Manager it is a true privilege to work with a group of people who so deeply embody NAMI Seattle’s organizational values of kindness, community, empowerment, and integrity. Here are just some of the things our program volunteers did in 2018:
COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS:
Ending the Silence leaders conducted 33 presentations at schools and community organizations (like Pacific Science Center and Vashon Island Presbyterian Church), educating 850+ youth and family members through information and personal stories.
In Our Own Voice speakers led 59 presentations, sharing their mental health stories and engaging in discussion with nearly 700 people across Seattle. Audiences included Seattle Aquarium employees, Harborview patients, AppleHealth Coordinated Care providers, Seattle City Clerk’s office staff, Swedish Hospital physicians and nurses, UW students, and so many more.
SUPPORT & RESOURCES:
With an average of 20 meetings serving 200 attendees each month, our Support Group facilitators ensure that people living with mental health conditions and their family members know they are not alone, and connect them to the emotional and practical resources they need.
Helpline volunteers assisted an average of 50 people per month with questions on everything from housing to hospitalization to loneliness, offering information, resources, and a supportive listening ear.
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS:
Peer-to-Peer teachers taught 1 class series, providing recovery-focused skills and support to a cohort of individuals with mental health conditions. Our Peer-to-Peer teachers – including some brand new ones – were also trained on the new and completely updated class curriculum that NAMI National released this month, and we are so excited to begin offering this new and improved version of the class this year!
Family-to-Family teachers led 2 class series, offering family members the chance to learn about their loved ones’ mental illness, develop their skills and knowledge, and connect to a compassionate community of other family members over the course of 12 weeks. We were also able to offer 2 sessions of the half-day seminar version of this class, Family & Friends. In 2019 we will be offering Family-to-Family in Spanish for the very first time – stay tuned for more details!
Smarts for Advocacy leaders taught 4 workshops – including one at the King County Recovery Conference in August – that provided our community members with the skills to transform their personal stories into effective mental health advocacy.
All of our programs are free to anyone who needs them – visit our event calendar to search for upcoming programs, or fill out our Request A NAMI Program form to invite a NAMI Seattle training or presentation to your organization, business or community group.
Our volunteers share their lived experiences with others in order to offer hope, help, and connection – and all of YOU make it possible for them to do so, whether through your donations, your time, or by spreading the word about our programs. From all of us at NAMI Seattle, a heartfelt thanks for everything you do. We can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring!
Katie Mahoney
Program Manager
P.S. If YOU want to become a NAMI volunteer in 2019, submit an application today and we’ll contact you about our next orientation!