(I shared a picture with my dog Nina because she is a big part of my finding stability in my life.)
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Lore, and I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve been here for a little bit more than 2 years. I am a professional singer and getting established in Seattle. I’ve been living with bipolar disorder since I was 20, and I’m 45 now and fortunately have been stable for 12 years. I never thought that I would be stable for so long. I never imagined myself living so far from home either! There were many years that I thought I wasn’t going to be able to leave my mothers home.
Why did you choose to become a NAMI Seattle volunteer?
I was an active volunteer with FUBIPA, an Argentine organization smaller than NAMI that supports people and families dealing with bipolar disorder. For me, volunteering is my way of being grateful for my stability, and it’s like a responsibility for me to help others dealing with bipolar disorder. Living in Belltown through the pandemic made me very aware of how significant the mental health needs are in Seattle. I found NAMI last summer, connected with Katie, and as they say, the rest is history.
What has been the most fulfilling part of being in this role?
I’m so new as a volunteer for NAMI, it’s not easy to answer that, but I am very excited to help expand NAMI’s Spanish language based support programs. There are a lot of people here who speak Spanish, and we need more Spanish-based programs to be a more inclusive organization.
Has this role affected other aspects of your life (mentally, spiritually, professionally, or otherwise)?
Every time I finish co-facilitating a group, I feel so good and I feel useful helping others. Being a volunteer for NAMI lets me take the difficult things about being bipolar and turn them into something productive and supportive for others that are struggling.
What was the most memorable experience you’ve had so far as a volunteer?
Earlier this month, I went to a Family to Family course to share my story in person. It was a powerful experience! Even though it was difficult going places that I’ve tried to leave in the past, it was moving to share my journey and reflect on how much better things are today. I think it gives others hope to see someone who is living with bipolar disorder and doing well.
Learn more about our Spanish programs
We have several Spanish peer programs in the works for this year – including En Nuestra Propia Voz presentations and a Conexion support group – and are excited to add these to our existing Spanish family classes. Thanks to the many dedicated volunteers helping to make this possible!
For more information about these programs, or to find out how you can get involved, please email Vince Medrano (espanol@namiseattle.org) or join our Spanish program update list.
Programas de Español
Tenemos varios programas en español en proceso para este año que incluyen la presentación En Nuestra Propia Voz y un grupo de apoyo de Conexion y estamos felices de agregar estos programas a nuestras clases para familiares de español existentes. ¡Gracias a todos los voluntarios dedicados que ayudaron a hacer esto posible!
Para obtener más información sobre estos programas, o para averiguar cómo puede participar, envíe un correo electrónico a Vince (espanol@namiseattle.org) o inscríbase a nuestra lista de actualización de los programas en español.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Reach out to Vince Medrano (vince@namiseattle.org) to learn more about current volunteer opportunities and how to get involved.
(I shared a picture with my dog Nina because she is a big part of my finding stability in my life.)
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Lore, and I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve been here for a little bit more than 2 years. I am a professional singer and getting established in Seattle. I’ve been living with bipolar disorder since I was 20, and I’m 45 now and fortunately have been stable for 12 years. I never thought that I would be stable for so long. I never imagined myself living so far from home either! There were many years that I thought I wasn’t going to be able to leave my mothers home.
Why did you choose to become a NAMI Seattle volunteer?
I was an active volunteer with FUBIPA, an Argentine organization smaller than NAMI that supports people and families dealing with bipolar disorder. For me, volunteering is my way of being grateful for my stability, and it’s like a responsibility for me to help others dealing with bipolar disorder. Living in Belltown through the pandemic made me very aware of how significant the mental health needs are in Seattle. I found NAMI last summer, connected with Katie, and as they say, the rest is history.
What has been the most fulfilling part of being in this role?
I’m so new as a volunteer for NAMI, it’s not easy to answer that, but I am very excited to help expand NAMI’s Spanish language based support programs. There are a lot of people here who speak Spanish, and we need more Spanish-based programs to be a more inclusive organization.
Has this role affected other aspects of your life (mentally, spiritually, professionally, or otherwise)?
Every time I finish co-facilitating a group, I feel so good and I feel useful helping others. Being a volunteer for NAMI lets me take the difficult things about being bipolar and turn them into something productive and supportive for others that are struggling.
What was the most memorable experience you’ve had so far as a volunteer?
Earlier this month, I went to a Family to Family course to share my story in person. It was a powerful experience! Even though it was difficult going places that I’ve tried to leave in the past, it was moving to share my journey and reflect on how much better things are today. I think it gives others hope to see someone who is living with bipolar disorder and doing well.
Learn more about our Spanish programs
We have several Spanish peer programs in the works for this year – including En Nuestra Propia Voz presentations and a Conexion support group – and are excited to add these to our existing Spanish family classes. Thanks to the many dedicated volunteers helping to make this possible!
For more information about these programs, or to find out how you can get involved, please email Vince Medrano (espanol@namiseattle.org) or join our Spanish program update list.
Programas de Español
Tenemos varios programas en español en proceso para este año que incluyen la presentación En Nuestra Propia Voz y un grupo de apoyo de Conexion y estamos felices de agregar estos programas a nuestras clases para familiares de español existentes. ¡Gracias a todos los voluntarios dedicados que ayudaron a hacer esto posible!
Para obtener más información sobre estos programas, o para averiguar cómo puede participar, envíe un correo electrónico a Vince (espanol@namiseattle.org) o inscríbase a nuestra lista de actualización de los programas en español.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Reach out to Vince Medrano (vince@namiseattle.org) to learn more about current volunteer opportunities and how to get involved.